LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OE  CALIEORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


PRESENTED  BY 

Henry  Adams 


MAROUISE  BE  lATOURJDU  FIN 


177  O    -    18  5  3 


RECOLLECTIONS 

OF    THE 

REVOLUTION    AND 
THE    EMPIRE 


FROM    THE    FRENCH    OF    THE 

"JOURNAL  D'UNE  FEMME  DE  CINQUANTE  ANS  " 

BY 

LA  MARQUISE  DE  LA  TOUR    DU  PIN 

EDITED    AND    TRANSLATED    BY 

WALTER  GEER 

WITH  FIFTEEN   PHOTOGRAVURE  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK     :    BRENTANaS 

IQ20 


COPYRIGHT      1920,      BY 

WALTER     OEER 


All  rights  reserved 


U3A3 


SA*-.'iA  j&A, 


FOREWORD 

THE  author  of  the  "Journal  of  a  Woman  of 
Fifty  Years,"  Henriette-Lucie  Dillon,  was 
born  at  Paris,  25  February  1770,  and  died 
at  Pisa,  Italy,  2  April  1853.  The  21  May  1787,  she 
married  Frederic-Seraphin,  Comte  de  Gouvernet, 
who  upon  the  death  of  his  father  on  the  scaffold, 
28  April  1794,  took  the  title  of  Comte  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  de  Gouvernet.  Under  the  Second  Restoration 
he  was  named  a  Peer  of  France  and  given  the  title 
of  Marquis.  The  events  of  his  life  from  the  date  of 
his  marriage  to  the  epoch  of  the  Hundred  Days  are 
told  in  the  following  memoirs  of  his  wife.  Other 
details  of  his  career  will  be  found  in  the  Postscript. 

In  her  ''Journal"  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
relates  all  the  notable  incidents  of  the  period  of  her 
life  comprised  between  her  childhood  and  the  end 
of  the  month  of  March,  1815,  immediately  following 
the  return  of  Napoleon  from  Elba.  Her  history  from 
that  time  on  is  closely  linked  with  that  of  her  husband, 
and  will  be  related  in  that  connection. 

Her  memoirs  were  written  from  time  to  time,  with 
long  interruptions.  Commenced  on  the  first  day  of 
January,  1820,  the  last  pages  of  the  First  Part  were 
not  finished,  or  put  in  final  shape,  until  about  twenty 
years  later.  The  Second  Part  was  not  begun  until 
February,  1843,  and  at  the  time  of  her  death  ten 

[iii] 


FOREWORD 

years  later  had  been  completed  only  to  the  month  of 
March,  1815. 

At  her  death  in  1853,  she  left  the  manuscript  to  her 
only  surviving  son,  Aymar,  who  in  turn  willed  it  to 
his  nephew,  Hadelin,  Comte  de  Liedekerke-Beaufort, 
who  confided  it  a  short  time  before  his  death  to  his 
son  Aymar,  by  whom  the  memoirs  were  published  in 
Paris  in  1906.  The  book  met  with  an  immediate  and 
well-deserved  success,  and  in  a  few  years  reached  the 
sixteenth  edition. 

In  his  Preface  the  Comte  de  Liedekerke-Beaufort 
says  that  with  the  Marquise  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  dis- 
appeared one  of  the  last  vestiges  of  the  high  society 
of  the  period  before  the  Revolution,  of  which  the 
traditions  have  to-day  completely  vanished.  The 
reader  of  these  memoirs  cannot  fail  to  appreciate  the 
high  qualities  of  heart  and  soul  and  mind  shown  by 
the  author.  Those  who  knew  her,  both  esteemed  and 
loved  her.  They  united  in  saying  that  rarely  was 
greater  stability  united  to  greater  charms,  more  con- 
stant fidelity  to  duty  to  greater  kindliness.  Endowed 
with  a  retentive  memory,  which  recalled  in  her  con- 
versation the  varied  recollections  of  so  many  different 
periods,  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  interested  to 
the  highest  degree  the  thoughtful  and  serious-minded, 
as  she  attracted  to  her  the  young,  whose  tastes  she 
understood  and  whose  faults  she  excused. 

According  to  the  statement  of  the  Editor  of  the 
French  edition,  the  recollections  brought  together  in 
these  memoirs  by  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  were, 
in  her  mind,  intended  for  her  only  surviving  son, 
Aymar,   and  were  not  written  originally  with  the 

[iv] 


FOREWORD 

idea  of  publication.  They  therefore  contain  many- 
pages  of  intimate  details  of  family  life,  and  other 
matters,  which  would  not  be  of  interest  to  the  general 
public,  and  which  it  has  therefore  been  thought 
advisable  to  omit  from  this  edition. 

Walter  Geer 

New  York 
July  iq2o 


[v] 


CONTENTS 

FIRST  PART 

CHAPTER  ONE 

1770-1781 

CHILDHOOD  OF  MLLE.   DILLON 

PAGE 

Her  Earliest  Years. —  Members  of  Her  Family. —  Her 
Sad  and  Precocious  Infancy. —  Her  Maid  Marguerite. 
—  Society  Before  the  Revolution. —  An  Archbishop's 
Mode  of  Life. —  Toilettes  of  Men  and  Women. — 
Dinners  and  Suppers. —  Chateau  of  Hautefontaine. — 
Louis  XVI  Jealous  of  the  Hunting  Establishment. — 
Sojourn  at  Versailles  in  1781. —  The  Queen's  Friend- 
ship for  Madame  Dillon i 

CHAPTER  TWO 

1782-1783 

DEATH  OF  MME.  DILLON 

Illness  of  Mme.  Dillon. —  She  is  Ordered  to  the  Waters  of 
Spa. —  Indignation  of  Her  Mother. —  Intervention  of 
the  Queen. —  Departure  for  Brussels. —  Lord  and 
Lady  Dillon. —  Lady  Kenmare. —  Education  of  Mile. 
Dillon. —  Sojourn  at  Brussels. —  Visit  to  the  Arch- 
duchess Marie-Christine. —  Sojourn  at  Spa. —  Return 
to  Paris. —  Death  of  Mme.  Dillon. —  Description  of 
Hautefontaine. —  Purchase  of  the   Folie  Joyeuse   at 

Montfermeil lo 

[vii] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  THREE 

1783-1786 
VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

PAGE 

Annual  Trip  of  Mile.  Dillon  to  Languedoc. —  Method  of 
Travel  at  That  Epoch. —  The  Route  to  Languedoc. — 
Nimes  and  Montpellier. —  Etiquette  at  Dinners. — 
Society  at  Montpellier. —  Return  of  Monsieur  Dillon 
to  France. —  He  Weds  Mme.  de  La  Touche. —  He 
Takes  the  Government  of  Tabago. —  First  Plan  for  the 
Marriage  of  Mile.  Dillon. —  Sojourn  at  Bordeaux. — 
Another  Dillon  Family. —  The  Comte  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin  and  His  Son,  the  Comte  de  Gouvernet 19 

CHAPTER    FOUR 

1786 

MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS 

New  Marriage  Plans. —  The  Marquis  Adrien  de  Laval. — 
Fortune  of  Mile.  Dillon. —  Regiments  of  the  Irish 
Brigade. —  Portrait  of  Mile.  Dillon. —  Marechal  de 
Biron. —  Rupture  with  Monsieur  Adrien  de  Laval. — 
The  Vicomte  de  Fleury. —  M.  Esperance  de  L'Aigle. 
—  The  Comte  de  Gouvernet. —  Decision  of  Mile. 
Dillon 


CHAPTER  FIVE 

1787 

THE  MARRIAGE   PRELIMINARIES 

Convocation  of  the  Notables. —  Return  to  Paris. —  Death 
of  Mme.  de  Monconseil. —  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet's 
Marriage  Proposal  Accepted. — Visit  of  Mme.  d'Henin. 

[  viii  ] 


31 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

—  Signature  of  the  Contract. —  Toilette  the  Day  of 
the  Fian<;aillfs. —  PoHtcness  of  this  Epoch. —  The 
Four  Lanicth  Brothers. —  The  Marriage  Contract. — 
The  Comte  and  Comtesse  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. — A 
Visit  to  the  Queen. —  At  Montfermei!. —  The  Trous- 
seau and    the  Corbeille 38 


CHAPTER  SIX 
1787 

MARRIAGE  AND   PRESENTATION  AT  COURT 

A  Marriage  in  High  Society  at  the  End  of  the  18th 
Century. —  The  Nuptial  Benediction. —  The  Mar- 
riage Souvenirs. —  Toilette  of  the  Bride. —  Presenta- 
tion to  the  Queen. —  Rehearsal  with  the  Maitre  a 
Danser. —  The  Presentation  Toilette. —  The  Sunday 
Court. —  Portrait  of  the  King. —  The  Art  of  Walking 
at  Versailles. —  The  Mass. —  The  Royal  Dinner....       43 

CHAPTER  SEVEN 

1787-1788 

FIRST  SEASON  IN  SOCIETY 

Civil  War  in  Holland. —  Feebleness  of  the  French  Govern- 
ment.—  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  Henencourt. — 
Excursion  to  Lille. —  Return  to  Montfermeil. —  The 
Loges  of  the  Queen  at  the  Theatres. —  Mme.  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  in  Society. — Mme.  de  Montesson  and 
the  Due  d'Orleans. —  Rupture  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  with  Her  Family 5^ 


[k] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  EIGHT 

1788-1789 
EVE  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

PAGE 

Sojourn  with  Mme.  d'Henin. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin,  Colonel  de  Royal-Vaisseaux. —  Indiscipline  of  the 
Officers  of  the  Regiment. —  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia. 

—  His  Taste  for  French  Literature. —  The  Hotel  de 
Rochechouart. —  Comte  de  Chinon,  afterwards  Due 
de  Richelieu. —  A  Ball  at  Lord  Dorset's. —  Approach 
of  the  Revolution. —  Popularity  of  the  Due  d'Orleans. 

—  Causes  of  the  Antipathy  of  the  Queen  to  the  Due. 

—  Popularity  of  English  Fashions. —  The  Origin  of 
Monsieur  de  Lally-Tollendal 6i 

CHAPTER  NINE 
1789 

FALL  OF  THE  BASTILLE 

Mme.  deGenlis. —  Education  of  the  Young  Orleans  Princes. 

—  Pamela. —  Horse  Races  at  Vincennes. —  First 
Popular  Meetings. —  Residence  at  Versailles. —  Sess- 
ion of  the  Opening  of  the  States-General. —  Attitude 
of  the  King  and  Queen. —  Feebleness  of  the  Court. 

—  Departure  of  Monsieur  Necker. — The  14th  of  July 
1 789. —  Return  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  to  Paris. — 
The  Waters  of  Forges 73 

CHAPTER  TEN 

1789 

VERSAILLES  INVADED  BY  THE  MOB 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Pere,  Minister  of  War. —  Of- 
ficial Dinners. —  Commencement  of  the  Emigration. — 
Ruin  of  the  La  Tour  du  Pin  Family. —  The  Controle- 

[x] 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

General  and  Mme.  de  Stacl. —  Organization  of  the 
National  Guard  of  Versailles. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin,  Second  in  Command. —  The  National  Guard 
of  Paris  and  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette. — Banquet  of  the 
Gardes  du  Corps  at  the  Chateau. —  Day  of  the  5th  of 
October. —  The  King  at  the  Hunt. —  Paris  Marches 
on  Versailles. —  Arrangements  for  the  Defence. —  The 
Women  of  Paris  at  Versailles. —  Revolt  of  the  National 
Guard  of  Versailles. —  Plan  for  the  Departure  of  the 
Royal  Family  for  Rambouillet. —  Invasion  of  the 
Offices  of  the  Ministry. —  Hesitation  of  the  King. — 
Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  with  the  King. —  Calm  Re- 
established.—  Day  of  the  6th  of  October. —  An  Armed 
Band  Invades  the  Chateau. —  Massacre  of  the  Gardes 
du  Corps. —  Attempted  Assassination  of  the  Queen. — 
Presence  of  the  Due  d'Orleans. —  Departure  of  the 
Royal  Family  for  Paris. —  The  King  Confides  the 
Guard  of  the  Palace  to  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Takes  Refuge  at 
Saint-Germain 84 

CHAPTER  ELEVEN 

1789-1790 

VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

Residence  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  Paris. —  The 
Minister  of  War  at  the  Hotel  de  Choiseul. —  Birth  of 
Humbert. —  Kindness  of  the  Queen  for  Mme.  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin. —  The  Fete  of  the  Federation. —  The 
Garrison  of  Paris. —  Composition  of  the  National 
Guard. —  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette. —  Talleyrand, 
Bishop  of  Autun. —  The  Spectacle  at  the  Champ-de- 
Mars. —  The  Royal  Family. —  Excursion  to  Sw^itzer- 
land. —  An  Adventure  at  Dole. —  Four  Days  of  Cap- 
tivity.—  Departure  from  Dole. — The  Lake  of  Geneva. 

Cxi] 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

—  Revolt  of  the  Garrison  of  Nancy. —  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  Sent  as  Parlementaire. —  Suppression 
of  the  Revolt. —  Sojourn  at  Lausanne. —  Return  to 
Paris  via  Alsace io8 

CHAPTER  TWELVE 

1791-1792 

RESIDENCE  IN  HOLLAND 

Sojourn  at  Paris. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Leaves 
the  Ministry  of  War. —  His  Son  Refuses  the  Post. — 
Is  Named  as  Minister  to  Holland. —  Residence  at  Rue 
de  Varenne. —  The  Flight  of  the  Royal  Family. —  De- 
parture for  Holland. —  The  Lameth  Family. —  Life  of 
Pleasure  at  The  Hague. —  Recall  of  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin. —  Decree  against  the  Emigres. —  Flight 
of  La  Fayette. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Returns 
to  France 122 

CHAPTER  THIRTEEN 

1793 

FLIGHT  TO  BORDEAUX 

Vexations  of  Travel  in  France. —  Residence  at  Passy. — 
The  21  January,  1793. —  Portrait  of  Monsieur  Arthur 
Dillon.  —  Retirement  to  Le  Bouilh.  —  Bordeaux 
and  the  Federation. —  Arrest  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  Pere. —  His  Son  and  Daughter-in-Law  Take 
Refuge  at  Canoles  with  Monsieur  de  Brouquens. — 
The  Guillotine  at  Bordeaux. —  Birth  of  Seraphine. — 
Flight  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Arrest  of 
Monsieur  de  Brouquens. —  Confrontation  of  the 
Queen  and  the  Former  Minister  of  War. —  Precipitate 
Departure  of  His  Son  from  Bouilh. — Three  Months  of 
Forced  Retirement  at  Mirambeau 137 

[xii] 


CONTENTS 

CHAFFER  FOURTEEN 

1793-1794 
LIFE  AT   BORDEAUX 

PAGE 

The  Seals  at  Le  Bouilh. —  Refuge  at  Bordeaux  with  Bonie. 
— The  Pain  de  la  Section.— The  Queue  at  the  Door  of 
the  Butchers  and  Bakers.—  Arrest  of  the  English  and 
Americans.—  A  Belle  Grisette. —  Unexpected  Protec- 
tion.—  Mme.Tallien. —  Interview  with  Tallien. —  Mon- 
sieurde  LaTourdu  Pin  Takes  Refuge  at  Tesson.— New 
Flight. —  Return  to  Tesson.  —  The  Cartes  de  Siirete .  .      151 

CHAPTER  FIFTEEN 

1794 

DECISION  TO  LEAVE  FRANCE 

Alarming  Situation  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  Bor- 
deaux and  of  Her  Husband  at  Tesson. —  Certificates  of 
Residence  with  Nine  Witnesses. —  Decision  to  Leave 
for  America. —  The  American  Vessel  "Diane". —  Pre- 
parations for  Departure. —  On  the  Arm  of  Tallien. 
—  Passport  of  the  Citizen  Latour. —  Anxiety  over  the 
Delay. —  Return  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. — 
How  He  Came  Back  from  Tesson 163 

CHAPTER  SIXTEEN 
1794 

VOYAGE  TO  BOSTON 

Delivery  of  the  Passport. —  The  Vise  by  Ysabeau. —  Mon- 
sieur de  Fontenay  and  his  Wife's  Diamonds. —  Final 
Preparations. — Adieux  to  Marguerite. —  Monsieur  de 
Chambeau  Accompanies  Us. —  Embarkment  on  the 
"Diane". — The  Boat  and  Its  Equipment. —  Off  the 
Azores. —  The  Pilot. — The  Port  of  Boston. —  Joy  at 

Arriving I73 

[  xiii  ] 


CONTENTS 


SECOND  PART 

CHAPTER  ONE 

1794 

ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA 


PAGE 


Adieux  to  the  "Diane". —  Joy  of  Being  in  a  Friendly 
Country. —  Temporary  Residence  at  Boston. —  Mr. 
Geyer. —  General  Schuyler. —  Sale  of  Superfluous 
Articles. —  Departure  for  Albany. —  Mme.  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  Learns  of  the  Death  of  her  Father. —  The 
Inn  at  Lebanon. —  Arrival  at  Albany. —  Friendly 
Reception  by  General  Schuyler  and  the  Van  Rens- 
selaer Family. —  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer. —  Talleyrand 
in  America 183 


CHAPTER  TWO 

1794 

THE  FARM  NEAR  ALBANY 

En  Pension  with  the  Van  Burens. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin's  Father-in-Law. —  Apprenticeship  as  Farmer. — ■ 
Purchase  of  a  Farm. —  Temporary  Residence  at  Troy. 

—  A  Log  House. —  Unexpected  Visit  of  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand. —  News  of  the  9  Thermidor. —  An  Ap- 
preciation of  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand. —  Mr.  Law. 

—  Alexander  Hamilton. —  Beginning  of  Winter. — 
First  Encounter  with  the  Indians. —  Purchase  of 
the  First  Negro,  Minck. —  Repairs  of  the  Farm-house. 

—  Activity  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 196 


[xiv] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  THREE 
1795 

COUNTRY  LIFE 

PAGE 

Family  Life  at  the  Farm. —  The  Arrival  of  Spring. —  The 
Indians. —  Their  Passion  for  Rum. The  Shakers. 

—  A  Visit  to  Their  Establishment. —  A  Visit  from 
Messieurs  de  Liancourt  and  Dupetit-Theuars. — 
Talleyrand  and  the  Banker  Morris. —  Plans  for  a 
Trip  to  Philadelphia  and  New  York 210 

CHAPTER  FOUR 

1795 

A  VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

Fulton's  Invention. —  The  Trip  to  New  York. —  The 
Hudson  River. —  West  Point. —  Sojourn  at  New  York. 

—  Alexander  Hamilton. —  The  Yellow  Fever. —  Pre- 
cipitate Departure. —  General  Gates. —  Return  to  the 
Farm. —  Death  of  Seraphine. —  Gathering  the  Apples 
and  Making  Cider. —  The  Crop  of  Corn. —  Ice  in  the 
River. —  Recovery  of  a  Portrait  of  the  Queen 223 

CHAPTER  FIVE 
1796 

DEPARTURE  FOR  EUROPE 

News  from  France. —  Return  Decided  Upon.—  Regrets 
of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  The  Slaves  Receive 
Their  Liberty. —  Departure  for  Europe.—  The  Wait 
at  New  York. —  Arrival  at  Cadiz.—  The  Quarantine. 

—  Visit  of  the  Customs  Officers. —  Mode  of  Travel  in 
Spain  at  this  Epoch.— A  Bull  Fight.— Departure 
from  Cadiz. —  The  Inns. —  Cathedral  of  Cordova. — 

In  the  Sierra  Morena.—  At  Madrid 237 

[xv] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  SIX 

1796-1797 

VISIT  TO  PARIS 

PAGE 

Departure  from  Madrid. —  The  Escurial. —  Arrival  at 
Saint-Sebastien. —  Bonie  Rejoins  Us. —  Apprehen- 
sions on  Returning  to  France. — ^Arrival  at  Bayonne. — 
Monsieur  de  Brouquens  Again. — Arrival  at  Le  Bouilh. 

—  Devastation  of  the  Chateau. —  The  Library  Saved. 

—  Return  of  Marguerite. —  Birth  of  Charlotte. —  Ab- 
sence of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Fortune 
Compromised. —  Dispersion  of  the  Family  Souvenirs. 

—  Trip  to  Paris. —  Devastation  of  the  Chateau  of 
Tesson. —  Talleyrand,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. — 
Jealousy  of  Tallien 256 

CHAPTER  SEVEN 

1797-1798 

EXILE  IN  ENGLAND 

The  18  Fructidor. —  A  Promenade  in  Paris. —  Mme.  de 
Stael  and  Benjamin  Constant. —  Expulsion  of  the 
Returned  Emigres. —  Situation  of  Monsieur  and  Mme. 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Conduct  of  Talleyrand  and 
Tallien. —  New  Exile. —  A  Friend  from  America. — 
Cordial  Reception  by  Lady  Jerningham. —  Visit  of 
Mme.  Dillon. —  Mme.  de  Rothe  and  the  Archbishop 
of  Narbonne. — •  Lord  Dillon. —  His  Apostasy  and 
Marriage  with  an  Actress. —  Lord  Kenmare  and  His 
Daughter. —  Dominating  Character  of  Mme.  d'Henin. 
- —  Society  of  the  Emigres. —  Departure  for  Cossey. — 
The  Races  at  Newmarket. —  Kindness  of  Lad}'^  Jer- 
ningham.—  Life  at  Cossey. —  The  Family  Table. — 
Residence  at  Richmond  with  Mme.  d'Henin. —  An 
Inheritance  Difficult  to  Realize. —  Money  Troubles  of 
Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 273 

[  xvi  ]' 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 

1798-1799 

LIFE  AT  RICHMOND 

PAGE 

The  Princesse  de  Bouillon  in  Enj2;land. —  Birth  and  Death 
of  Edward. —  Change  of  Residence  at  Richmond. — • 
Facilities  of  Life  in  England. —  Narrow  Circumstances 
of  Monsieur  and  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Distress 
of  Monsieur  de  Chambeau. —  He  is  Aided  by  Mon- 
sieur de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  The  One  Hundred  Pounds 
of  Edward  Jerningham. —  A  Week  at  London. —  An 
Eight  Days'  Excursion. —  Plans  for  Return  to  France 
Abandoned.  —  The  Circulating  Library 293 


CHAPTER  NINE 

1799-1800 

RETURN  TO  PARIS 

Again  at  Cossey. —  News  of  the  18  Brumaire. —  Plans  for 
Return  to  France. —  The  Wait  at  Yarmouth. —  The 
Crossing. —  The  Debarkment  at  Cuxhaven. —  In  the 
North  of  Germany. —  The  Ball  at  Wildeshausen. — 
Birth  of  Cecile.— En  Route  for  Holland.— At 
Utrecht. —  Unexpected  Meeting  with  Mme.  d'Henin. 
—  Arrival  at  Paris. —  Residence  in  the  Rue  de  Mi- 
romesnil. —  Mme.  Bonaparte. —  Monsieur  de  Beau- 
harnais  the  Best  Dancer  in  Paris. — The  Morality  of 
Talleyrand. —  A  Visit  to  Mme.  Bonaparte. —  Certifi- 
cates of  Residence. —  At  Malmaison. —  The  Gallery 
of  Mme.  Bonaparte.—  Mme.  de  Stael  and  Bonaparte     302 


[xvii  ] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  TEN 
1800-1808 

LIFE  AT  LE  BOUILH 

PAGE 

Sale  of  the  Paris  House. —  Departure  for  Le  Bouilh. —  Life 
There.— Education  of  Mile,  de  Lally.— Establish- 
ment of  the  Empire. —  Birth  of  Aymar. —  Marriage 
of  Mile,  de  Lally  and  Henri  d'Aux 317 

CHAPTER  ELEVEN 

1808 

THE  EMPEROR  AT  BORDEAUX 

Humbert  Leaves  for  Antwerp. —  Grief  over  the  Separation. 

—  Visit  of  the  Emperor  to  Bordeaux. —  His  Passage 
of  the  River  at  Cubzac. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
Summoned    to    Bordeaux.  —  The    Court    Assembly. 

—  Presentation  to  the  Emperor. —  The  Salon  of 
the  Empress. —  Her  Entourage. —  Strict  Rules  for 
Her  Days  Dictated  by  the  Emperor. —  Anxiety  of 
Josephine  over  the  Rumors  of  Her  Divorce. —  A  Note 
from  the  Emperor. —  Departure  of  the  Empress. — 
Return  to  Le  Bouilh. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
Appointed  Prefet  at  Brussels. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin,  Dame  d'Honneur  of  the  Queen  of  Spain. — 
Presentation  to  the  Queen. —  The  Prince  de  la  Paix. — 
Departure  of  the  Spanish  Sovereigns 327 

CHAPTER  TWELVE 

1808-1810 

THE  PREFECTURE  AT  BRUSSELS 

Commencement  of  a  New  Life. —  Judicious  Choice  of 
Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  for  the  Prefecture. —  De- 
parture from  Le  Bouilh.^ —  Mile.  Fanny  Dillon   and 

[  xviil  ] 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

the  Prince  Pignatelli. —  Project  of  Her  Marriage  with 
General  Bertrand. —  A  Delicate  Mission  to  the 
Empress  Josephine. —  Wives  of  the  Officers  at 
Brussels. —  The  Dowager  Duchesse  d'Arenberg. — 
Her  Suppers. —  Her  Reception  of  Monsieur  and  Mme. 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  A  Study  of  Brussels  Society. — 
Organization  of  the  House. —  Napoleon  Obtains  Con- 
sent of  Mile.  Fanny  Dillon  to  Marry  General  Bertrand. 
—  Eight  Days  for  the  Marriage. —  Meeting  with 
General  Bertrand. —  Details  of  the  Marriage  Arranged 
by  the  Emperor. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Received 
by  the  Emperor  at  Saint-Cloud. —  Signature  of  the 
Contract. —  Marriage  at  Saint-Leu. —  The  Emeralds 
of  Queen  Hortense 339 


CHAPTER  THIRTEEN 
1810-1811 

VISIT  OF  THE   EMPEROR 

The  Winter  Season  at  Brussels. —  The  Ennui  of  Queen 
Hortense. —  Arrival  of  Marie-Louise  at  Compiegne. — 
High  Society  at  Brussels  and  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment.—  The  Guard  of  Honor. —  Napoleon  and  Marie- 
Louise  at  Brussels. —  Dinner  with  the  Emperor. — 
Ball  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville. —  Departure  of  the  Em- 
peror.— ^The  Summer  at  Brussels. —  Examination  of 
Humbert  at  the  Conseil  d'Etat. —  Humbert  Ap- 
pointed Sous-Prefet  at  Florence. —  Birth  of  the 
King  of  Rome. —  The  Private  Baptism. —  The  Old 
Guard 355 


[xix] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 

1811-1813 

AN  AUDIENCE  WITH  NAPOLEON 

PAGE 

Marie-Louise  at  Laeken. —  Opening  of  the  Russian  Cam- 
paign.—  Movements  of  Troops. —  Monsieur  de  Liede- 
kerke  Demands  the  Hand  of  Charlotte  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin. —  Humbert  is  Appointed  Sous-Prefet  at  Sens. 

—  Dismissal  of  the  Prefet  of  Brussels. —  Mme.  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  Leaves  for  Paris. —  Request  for  an 
Audience. —  Conversation  with  the  Emperor. —  Sur- 
prise of  Monsieur  de  Montalivet. —  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  Appointed  Prefet  at  Amiens. —  The  As- 
sembly at  the  Tuileries. —  Amiability  of  Napoleon. — 
The  Last  Days  at  Brussels. —  Regrets  of  the  Popula- 
tion.—  Marriage  of  Charlotte 365 

CHAPTER   FIFTEEN 

1813-1814 

RETURN  OF  THE  KING 

Society  at  Amiens. —  The  Prefecture. —  General  Dupont. 

—  Arrival  of  the  Cossacks. —  Conversation  with 
Talleyrand. —  His  Hatred  of  Napoleon. —  Flight  of 
Humbert  from  Sens. —  In  the  Ante-chamber  of 
Talleyrand. —  "Vive  le  Roi!" —  Distribution  of  White 
Cockades. —  Preparations  for  the  Reception  of  the 
King. —  The  King  Enjoys  His  Dinner. —  Ill-nature  of 
the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  Re-enters  Diplomacy. — Humbert  is  Appointed 
Lieutenant  of  the  Black  Musketeers 380 

[xx] 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  SIXTEEN 
1814-1815 

THE  FIRST  RESTORATION 


PAGE 


Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Envoy  to  the  Congress  of 
Vienna. —  His  Wife  Accompanies  Him  to  Brussels. — 
Alexandre  de  Lameth,  Prefet  of  Amiens. —  Life  at 
Paris. —  Monsieur  de  Liedekerke  Decorated  with  the 
Legion  of  Honor. —  Mme.  de  Liedekerke  Leaves  for 
Vienna  with  her  Husband. —  The  Court  of  Louis 
XVIIL— Two  Balls  at  the  Due  de  Berry's.— Lord 
Wellington. —  News  of  the  Debarkment  of  Napoleon 
at  Cannes. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Decides  to 
Leave  for  Brussels. —  She  Visits  the  Minister  of 
Finance. —  A  Night  of  Anxiety. —  At  Brussels. —  Visit 
to  the  King  of  Holland. —  Separation  of  the  Congress 
of  Vienna. —  Mission  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
to  the  Due  d'Angouleme. 394 


POSTSCRIPT 

Life  of  Monsieur  and  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
after  the  First  Restoration. —  The  Dillon  Family. — 
Genealogical  Table. —  Biographical  Notes. —  History 
of  the  Dillon  Regiment 406 


[xxi] 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Marquise  de  La  Tour  du  Pin Frontispiece 

Comte  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  de  Gouvernet 32 

La  Reine  Marie  Antoinette 48 

Le  Marquis  de  Lally-Tollendal 64 

Anne-Louise  Necker;    Baronne  de  Stael 96 

Princesse  d'Henin 112 

Le  Conventionnel  Tallien 160 

Madame  Tallien 176 

Le  Bateau  " La  Diane" 192 

Comte  Arthur  Dillon   208 

Prince  de  Talleyrand-Perigord 288 

Chateau  du  Bouilh 304 

L'Imperatrice  Josephine 320 

LTmperatrice  Marie-Louise 352 

Comte  Humbert  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  de  Gouvernet 368 


[xxii] 


RECOLLECTIONS    OF    THE 
REVOLUTION  AND  THE  EMPIRE 

FIRST   PART 

CHAPTER  ONE 
1770-1781 

CHILDHOOD  OF  MLLE.  DILLON 

Her  Earliest  Years. —  Members  of  Her  Family. —  Her  Sad  and 
Precocious  Infancy. —  Her  Maid  Marguerite. —  Society 
Before  the  Revolution. —  An  Archbishop's  Mode  of  Life. — 
Toilettes  of  Men  and  Women. —  Dinners  and  Suppers. — 
Chateau  of  Hautefontaine. —  Louis  XVI  Jealous  of  the 
Hunting  Establishment. —  Sojourn  at  Versailles  in  1781. — 
The  Queen's  Friendship  for  Madame  Dillon. 

WHOEVER  writes  a  book,  almost  always 
does  so  with  the  idea  that  it  will  be  read 
either  before  or  after  his  death.  But  I  do 
not  intend  to  write  a  book  —  merely  the  journal  of 
my  Ufe.  If  1  were  only  to  relate  events,  a  few  sheets 
of  paper  would  suffice  for  a  record  of  so  little  interest, 
but  if  I  undertake  to  set  forth  the  history  of  my 
opinions  and  my  feelings,  the  journal  of  my  heart, 
the  enterprise  is  more  difficult,  for  to  depict  one's 
self,  self-knowledge  is  essential,  and  one  does  not 
begin  to  acquire  that  at  fifty  years  of  age.  Perhaps 

CO 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  shall  speak  of  the  past  and  tell  the  story  of  my 
early  years  only  in  episodes  and  without  continuity. 
I  do  not  pretend  to  write  my  confessions,  but  al- 
though I  should  dislike  to  reveal  my  faults,  I  wish 
nevertheless  to  depict  myself  as  I  am  and  as  I  have 
been. 

I  have  never  written  anything  except  letters  to 
those  I  love.  I  have  no  order  in  my  ideas,  and  little 
method.  My  memxory  is  already  much  impaired. 
Moreover,  my  imagination  carries  me  sometimes  so 
far  from  the  subject  I  wish  to  follow  that  it  is  diflficult 
for  me  to  pick  up  the  threads  so  often  broken  by 
these  digressions.  My  heart  is  still  so  young  that  I 
have  to  look  at  myself  in  the  mirror  to  realize  that 
I  am  no  longer  twenty  years  of  age.  Let  me  then 
take  advantage  of  the  ardor  which  still  remains,  and 
which  the  infirmities  of  age  may  sweep  away  at  any 
moment,  to  relate  some  facts  of  a  troubled  life,  but 
one  not  so  unhappy  from  the  events  known  to  the 
public,  as  from  the  secret  afflictions  known  only  to 
God. 

During  my  earliest  years  I  was  a  witness  of  many 
incidents  which  should  have  debased  my  mind, 
perverted  and  corrupted  my  heart,  and  destroyed  in 
me  every  idea  of  morality  and  religion.  From  the 
age  of  ten  I  was  present  when  the  conversation  was 
most  free,  and  heard  expressed  the  most  ungodly 
principles.  I  was  brought  up  in  the  house  of  an  arch- 
bishop, where  all  the  rules  of  religion  were  daily 
violated.  I  knew  from  observation  that  I  was  taught 
dogmas  and  doctrines  exactly  as  I  was  instructed  in 
history  and  geography. 

CO 


CHILDHOOD   OF   MLLE.   DILLON 

My  mother  had  married  her  cousin,  Arthur  Dillon, 
with  whom  she  had  been  brought  up,  and  whoni  she 
regarded  only  as  a  brother.  She  was  very  beautiful, 
and  the  angelic  sweetness  of  her  character  caused  her 
to  be  loved  by  everybody.  Men  adored  her,  and 
women  were  not  jealous  of  her.  Although  free  from 
coquetry,  she  was  not  sufficiently  reserved  in  her 
relations  with  men  who  took  her  fancy  and  who,  the 
world  said,  were  in  love  with  her. 

One  of  her  admirers  in  particular  spent  his  entire 
life  in  the  house  of  my  grandmother  and  of  my  uncle, 
the  Archbishop,  where  my  mother  lived.  He  also  went 
to  the  country  with  us.  The  Prince  de  Guemene, 
nephew  of  the  notorious  Cardinal  de  Rohan,  was 
therefore  considered  by  everybody  as  my  mother's 
lover.  But  I  do  not  think  this  was  true,  for  the  Due 
de  Lauzun,  the  Due  de  Liancourt,  and  the  Comte  de 
Saint-Blancard  were  equally  attentive  to  her.  The 
Comte  de  Fersen,  who  was  reputed  to  be  the  lover 
of  Queen  Marie-Antoinette,  also  came  to  our  house 
nearly  every  day.  My  mother  took  the  fancy  of  the 
Queen,  who  was  always  impressed  by  brilliancy. 
Madame  Dillon  was  much  in  vogue,  and  for  this 
reason  only  she  entered  the  Royal  household  and 
became  a  Dame  du  Palais.  At  that  time  I  was  seven 
or  eight  years  of  age. 

My  grandmother,  who  was  a  woman  of  very 
haughty  character,  and  of  infinite  ill-nature,  run- 
ning frequently  into  a  rage,  enjoyed  nevertheless  the 
afi^ections  of  her  daughter.  My  mother  was  absolutely 
under  her  contol.  Entirely  dependent  upon  her 
mother  in  money  matters,  she  had  never  dared  to 

[3] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

point  out,  that  as  the  only  daughter  of  her  father 
General  de  Rothe,  who  died  when  she  was  fifteen 
years  old,  she  had  the  right  to  control  her  own 
fortune.  My  grandmother  had  taken  possession  arbi- 
trarily {de  vive  force)  of  the  domain  of  Hautefontaine, 
which  had  been  purchased  with  the  funds  of  her 
husband.  Daughter  of  a  Peer  of  England  of  slender 
fortune,  she  had  received  a  very  small  inheritance. 
But  my  mother,  married  at  seventeen  years  of  age 
to  a  man  of  eighteen,  who  had  been  brought  up  with 
her,  and  who  had  no  property  except  his  regiment, 
could  never  find  the  courage  to  talk  to  my  grand- 
mother of  money  matters.  The  Queen  opened  her 
eyes  to  her  interests  and  encouraged  her  to  demand 
an  accounting.  My  grandmother  was  furious,  and  in 
place  of  maternal  tenderness,  became  possessed  of  an 
inconceivable  rage,  such  as  you  find  described  only 
in  romances  or  tragedies. 

My  earliest  recollections  are  of  the  frightful  scenes 
between  my  mother  and  my  grandmother,  which  I 
was  obliged  to  appear  not  to  notice.  Reserve  and 
discretion  on  my  part  were  absolutely  necessary.  I 
contracted  the  habit  of  hiding  my  feelings.  I  re- 
member that  I  was  shocked  by  the  way  in  which  my 
mother  complained  to  her  friends  of  my  grandmother. 
My  father  naturally  took  the  part  of  my  mother. 
But  I  knew  that  he  was  under  great  pecuniary  obli- 
gations to  my  uncle,  the  Archbishop,  and  his  position, 
to  me,  seemed  false. 

These  reflections  developed  ideas  and  experiences 
which  were  too  precocious  in  the  head  of  a  child  of 

[4] 


CHILDHOOD  OF   MLLE.   DILLON 

ten  years.  I  never  had  any  infancy.  The  only  person 
who  saved  me  from  these  bad  influences,  and  en- 
couraged the  thoughts  of  virtue  in  my  heart,  was  a 
maid  who  could  neither  read  nor  write.  She  was  a 
young  peasant,  by  the  name  of  Marguerite,  from  the 
neighborhood  of  Compiegne.  She  was  very  devoted 
to  me  and  remained  in  my  service  nearly  all  of  her 
life.  I  knew  that  Marguerite  was  worthy  of  all  con- 
fidence and  that  she  would  rather  die  than  com- 
promise me  by  an  indiscreet  word. 

The  manners  and  customs  of  society  have  changed  so 
much  since  the  Revolution  that  I  wish  to  retrace  in  some 
detail  what  I  recall  of  the  mode  of  life  of  my  family. 

My  great-uncle,  the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne, 
rarely  visited  his  diocese.  President,  ex  officio,  of  the 
States  of  Languedoc,  he  visited  this  province  solely 
to  preside  over  the  meetings  of  the  States,  which  were 
in  session  six  weeks  during  the  months  of  November 
and  December.  As  soon  as  the  meeting  was  over  he 
returned  to  Paris,  under  the  pretext  that  the  interests 
of  his  province  imperiously  claimed  his  presence  at 
the  Court,  but,  in  reality,  in  order  to  live  en  grand 
seigneur  at  Paris  and  as  a  courtier  at  Versailles. 

Besides  the  archbishopric  of  Narbonne,  which  paid 
him  250,000  francs  a  year,  he  had  an  abbey  which 
was  worth  110,000;  still  another  which  was  worth 
90,000;  and  he  received  an  allowance  of  more  than 
50,000  francs  for  giving  dinners  every  day  during  the 
meetings  of  the  States.  It  would  seem  that  with  such 
an  income  he  should  have  been  able  to  live  honorably 
and  at  his  ease,  but  nevertheless  he  was  always  in 

Cs] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

financial  difficulties.  His  style  of  life  at  Paris  was 
noble  but  simple,  and  the  daily  fare,  although 
abundant,  was  reasonable. 

At  this  epoch  grand  dinners  were  never  given,  be- 
cause every  one  dined  at  an  early  hour — at  two- 
thirty,  or  three  o'clock  at  the  latest.  The  ladies  were 
sometimes  coiffees,  but  never  dressed  for  dinner.  The 
men,  on  the  contrary,  were  usually  dressed  in  em- 
broidered or  plain  costumes,  according  to  their  age 
or  taste,  but  almost  never  in  evening  dress  or  in 
uniform.  Those  who  were  not  going  out  in  the  even- 
ing, and  the  master  of  the  house,  were  in  formal 
dress  and  en  neglige,  for  the  necessity  of  putting  on 
a  hat  deranged  the  fragile  edifice  of  the  curled  and 
powdered  toupet.  After  dinner  there  was  general  con- 
versation or,  sometimes,  a  game  of  backgammon.  The 
ladies  then  retired  to  dress,  and  the  men  awaited  them 
to  go  to  the  theatre,  if  they  were  to  be  in  the  same  loge. 
Those  who  remained  at  home  received  visitors  during 
the  afternoon.  At  nine-thirty  in  the  evening  the 
guests  arrived  for  supper. 

The  supper  was  the  real  event  of  the  day  in  society. 
There  were  two  kinds  of  suppers  —  those  given  by 
persons  who  had  them  every  day,  which  permitted  a 
certain  number  of  persons  to  drop  in  when  they 
wished,  and  the  more  formal  affairs,  which  were  more 
brilliant  and  more  numerously  attended,  and  to  which 
the  guests  were  invited.  I  speak  of  the  period  of  my 
infancy,  from  1778  to  1784.  I  never  attended  one  of 
these  fine  suppers,  but  I  have  often  seen  my  mother 
dressing  to  go  to  one  at  the  Hotel  de  Choiseul  or 
the  Palais-Royal. 

[6] 


CHILDHOOD   OF   MLLE.   DHXON 

At  this  time  there  were  fewer  balls  than  later. 
The  costumes  worn  by  the  ladies  naturally  turned 
dancing  into  a  kind  of  torture.  Every  one  wore  heels 
three  inches  high,  which  put  the  foot  in  an  unnatural 
position;  a  pannier  of  heavy  and  stiff  whalebone,  ex- 
tending to  the  right  and  the  left;  a  coiffure  a  foot 
high,  surmounted  by  a  bonnet  called  pouf,  upon 
which  feathers,  flowers  and  dianionds  were  piled  up, 
besides  a  pound  of  powder  and  pomade  which  the 
least  movement  caused  to  fall  upon  the  shoulders: 
such  a  scaffolding  rendered  it  impossible  to  dance 
with  pleasure.  But  at  the  suppers,  where  everybody 
talked  or  enjoyed  a  little  music,  this  edifice  was  not 
disturbed. 

But  to  return  to  my  family.  We  went  to  the  country 
early  in  the  spring  for  the  whole  summer.  At  the 
chateau  of  Hautefontaine  there  were  twenty-five 
apartments  for  guests,  and  these  were  often  filled. 
The  principal  season,  however,  was  during  the  month 
of  October.  It  was  then  that  the  colonels  came  back 
from  their  regiments,  where  they  had  passed  four 
months,  less  the  number  of  hours  necessary  to  return 
to  Paris,  from  which  city  they  scattered  to  the 
different  chateaux  to  visit  their  families  and  their 
friends. 

At  Hautefontaine  there  was  a  hunting  establish- 
ment, the  expense  of  which  was  divided  between  my 
uncle,  the  Prince  de  Guemene  and  the  Due  de 
Lauzun.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  the  expense  did 
not  exceed  30,000  francs,  but  in  this  sum  was  not 
included   the   outlay   for   the   saddle-horses   of   the 

[7] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

masters  —  only  the  dogs,  the  wages  of  the  huntsmen, 
who  were  EngHsh,  their  horses  and  the  keep  of  the 
whole  establishment.  The  hunt  was  held  during  the 
summer  and  autumn  in  the  forests  of  Compiegne  and 
Villers-Cotterets.  The  hunt  establishment  was  kept 
on  such  a  scale  that  the  poor  King  Louis  XVI  was 
seriously  jealous. 

At  the  age  of  seven  I  took  part  In  the  hunt  once 
or  twice  a  week,  and  when  I  was  ten  years  old,  the 
day  of  Saint-Hubert,  I  broke  my  leg.  They  tell  me 
that  I  showed  great  courage  and  did  not  make  a 
com.plaint,  although  it  was  necessary  to  carry  me 
five  leagues  on  a  stretcher. 

My  first  visit  to  Versailles  was  at  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  the  first  Dauphin  In  October,  1781.  How 
often  the  recollection  of  these  days  of  splendor  of 
Marie-Antoinette  comes  to  my  mind,  when  I  think 
of  the  torments  and  ignominies  of  which  she 
was  afterwards  the  unfortunate  victim.  I  went  to  see 
the  ball  given  by  the  Gardes  du  Corps  in  the  Grande 
Salle  de  Spectacle,  in  the  Chateau  of  Versailles.  The 
Queen  opened  the  ball  with  a  simple  young  guard. 
She  was  dressed  in  a  blue  gown  all  sprinkled  with 
sapphires  and  diamonds;  beautiful,  young,  adored 
by  all,  having  just  given  a  Dauphin  to  France,  not 
dreaming  of  the  possibility  of  a  backward  step  in  her 
brilliant  career,  she  was  already  on  the  edge  of  the 
abyss. 

I  shall  not  undertake  to  describe  the  Intrigues  of 
the  Court,  which  my  great  youth  prevented  m.e  from 
judging  or  even  comprehending.  I  heard  it  said  at 

[8] 


CHILDHOOD   OF   MLLE.   DILLON 

the  time  that  the  Queen  had  commenced  to  take  a 
fancy  to  Madame  de  PoHgnac,  who  was  very  pretty, 
but  had  little  animation.  Her  sister-in-law,  the 
Comtesse  Diane  de  Polignac,  who  was  older  and 
very  intrigante^  advised  her  as  to  the  means  of  secur- 
ing the  royal  favor.  I  recall  that  Monsieur  de  Gue- 
mene  endeavored  to  warn  my  mother  of  this  grow- 
ing favor  of  Mme.  de  Polignac,  but  my  mother 
accepted  the  Queen's  love  without  thinking  to  profit 
by  her  favor,  either  to  augment  her  own  fortune  or 
to  make  that  of  her  friends.  She  felt  that  she  was 
already  attacked  by  the  malady  from  which  she  was 
to  perish  less  than  two  years  later. 

At  this  time  my  father  was  in  America,  at  the 
head  of  the  first  battalion  of  his  regiment.  The  Dillon 
Regiment  had  entered  the  service  of  France  in  1690, 
at  the  time  that  James  II  had  lost  all  hope  of  re- 
mounting the  throne,  after  the  battle  of  the  Boyne. 
The  regiment  was  commanded  at  that  time  by  my 
great-grandfather,  Arthur  Dillon.* 

*  A  genealogical  table  of  the  Dillon  family  and  a  brief  history 
of  the  Regiment  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  this  volume. 


[9] 


CHAPTER  TWO 

1782-1783 
DEATH  OF  MME.   DILLON 

Illness  of  Mme.  Dillon. —  She  is  Ordered  to  the  Waters  of  Spa. — 
Indignation  of  Her  Mother. —  Intervention  of  the  Queen. — 
Departure  for  Brussels. —  Lord  and  Lady  Dillon. —  Lady 
Kenmare.  — ■  Education  of  Mile.  Dillon.  —  Sojourn  at 
Brussels. —  Visit  to  the  Archduchess  Marie-Christine. — 
Sojourn  at  Spa. —  Return  to  Paris. —  Death  of  Mme. 
Dillon. —  Description  of  Hautefontaine. —  Purchase  of  the 
Folie  Joyeuse  at  Montfermeil. 

MY  mother  had  always  been  delicate  since 
the  birth  of  her  son,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  two  years.  She'  did  not  take  any  care  of 
her  health.  She  rode  horseback,  hunted  the  stag, 
and  sang  with  the  celebrated  Piccini,  who  was  a 
great  admirer  of  her  voice.  Finally,  about  the  month 
of  April,  1782,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one,  she  had  a 
hemorrhage. 

My  grandmother,  who  did  not  wish  to  beheve  in 
the  sickness  of  her  daughter,  was  at  last  forced  to 
admit  that  she  was  seriously  ill.  My  mother  consulted 
a  physician  who  then  enjoyed  a  great  deal  of  ce- 
lebrity, and  he  ordered  her  to  go  to  Spa.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  describe  the  inconceivable  rage  of  my 
grandmother  at  the  idea  that  her  daughter  was  going 
to  the  springs.  She  did  not  wish  to  accompany  her 
there  and  refused  her  money  for  the  journey.  I  think 

[10] 


DEATH   OF   MME.   DILLON 

that  the  Queen  came  to  my  mother's  help  on  this 
occasion.  We  set  out  from  Hautefontaine  for  Brussels, 
where  we  passed  a  month. 

My  uncle,  Charles  Dillon,  had  married  Miss  Phipps, 
daughter  of  Lord  Mulgrave.  He  resided  at  Brussels, 
as  he  was  not  able  to  live  in  England  on  account  of 
his  numerous  debts.  At  this  time  he  was  still  a 
Catholic.  It  was  only  later  that  he  had  the  unpardon- 
able feebleness  to  change  his  religion  and  become  a 
Protestant,  in  order  to  inherit  from  his  maternal 
great-uncle.  Lord  Lichfield,  who  made  this  a  condi- 
tion of  his  heritage  of  15,000  pounds  sterling.  Lady 
Charles  Dillon  was  very  beautiful.  The  year  before, 
she  had  visited  Paris  with  Lady  Kenmare,  my 
father's  sister,  who  was  also  a  great  beauty.  She  went 
to  the  Queen's  Ball  with  my  mother,  and  the  three 
sisters-in-law  were  generally  admired.  A  year  had 
hardly  passed  before  they  were  in  their  tombs.  All 
three  died  at  an  interval  of  one  week. 

As  I  have  already  said,  I  did  not  have  any  in- 
fancy. At  twelve  years  of  age  my  education  was  al- 
ready far  advanced.  I  had  read  much,  but  without 
discrimination.  From  the  age  of  seven  I  had  been 
given  an  instructor.  He  was  an  organist  of  Beziers, 
named  Combes.  He  was  engaged  to  give  me  lessons 
on  the  clavecin,  for  at  that  time  pianos  were  very 
rare.  My  mother  had  one  to  accompany  her  voice, 
but  I  was  not  permitted  to  touch  it. 

I  had  always  had  a  great  desire  to  improve  my 
mind.  I  wished  to  know  everything,  from  the  cuisine 
to  experiments  in  chemistry,  which  I  made  with  a 
little  apothecary  who  lived  at  Hautefontaine.  The 

[II] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

gardener  was  English,  and  my  maid  Marguerite  took 
me  every  day  to  see  his  wife  who  taught  me  to  read 
in  that  language,  generally  "Robinson  Crusoe," 
of  which  I  was  very  fond. 

At  eleven  years  of  age,  my  mother,  finding  that  I 
was  not  speaking  English  as  well  as  formerly,  engaged 
for  me  an  English  maid  who  was  expressly  brought 
over  from  England.  Her  arrival  caused  me  great 
chagrin,  as  I  was  separated  from  my  former  maid, 
Marguerite. 

Returning  to  my  story.  At  Brussels  we  stayed  in 
the  house  of  my  aunt.  She  was  in  the  last  stages  of 
consumption,  but  the  disease  had  not  impaired  her 
beauty,  which  was  really  heavenly.  She  had  two 
charming  children  —  a  boy  of  four,  who  afterwards 
became  Viscount  Dillon,  and  a  girl  who  later  became 
the  wife  of  Sir  Thomas  Webb.  I  had  a  great  deal  of 
fun  with  these  children.  My  greatest  pleasure  was  to 
care  for  them  and  to  put  them  to  sleep.  I  already  had 
the  maternal  instinct.  I  felt  that  these  poor  children 
would  soon  be  deprived  of  their  mother.  I  did  not 
realize  that  I  myself  was  so  near  the  same  misfortune. 

My  mother  took  me  to  see  Archduchess  Marie- 
Christine,  who  governed  the  Low  Countries  with  her 
husband,  Duke  Albert  of  Saxe-Teschen.  While  my 
mother  was  talking  with  the  Archduchess,  they 
showed  me  a  cabinet  in  which  there  were  portfolios 
of  prints.  I  have  often  thought  since  that  this  was 
the  beginning  of  that  superb  collection  of  engravings, 
the  finest  in  Europe,  which  Duke  Albert  left  to  the 
Archduke  Charles. 

[.2] 


DEATH   OF   MME.   DILLON 

From  Brussels  we  went  to  Spa,  where  Monsieur 
de  Guemene  rejoined  us.  It  was  at  Spa  that  I  en- 
joyed for  the  first  time  the  dangerous  poison  of 
praise  and  success.  The  days  that  there  were  dances 
at  the  Assembly  Room,  my  mother  took  me  there, 
and  the  dancing  of  the  petite  frangaise  soon  became 
one  of  the  curiosities  of  Spa. 

The  Comte  and  Comtesse  du  Nord  had  just  ar- 
rived from  the  interior  of  Russia,  and  they  had 
never  seen  a  girl  of  twelve  years  dance  the  gavotte 
and  the  minuet.  This  same  princess  later  became  the 
second  wife  of  the  Emperor  Paul  the  First  of  Russia, 
and  thirty-seven  years  later,  when  she  met  me  again 
as  a  grave  mother  of  a  family,  she  had  not  forgotten 
the  little  girl  of  other  days.  At  that  time  she  said 
many  pleasant  things  regarding  the  recollections 
which  she  had  preserved  of  my  grace  and,  above  all, 
of  my  beautiful  figure. 

However,  the  waters  of  Spa  shortened  the  days  of 
my  poor  mother.  Nevertheless,  she  disliked  to  return 
to  Hautefontaine,  as  she  was  certain  that  she  would 
be  greeted  there  by  my  grandmother,  as  usual,  with 
scenes  of  ill-nature.  But  my  mother  had  the  thought, 
common  to  all  those  who  are  attacked  by  this  cruel 
malady  of  the  chest,  that  she  should  have  a  change 
of  air.  She  wished  to  go  to  Italy,  and  asked  first  to 
return  to  Paris.  My  grandmother  consented,  and 
then  for  the  first  time  fully  realized  the  unfortunate 
state  of  her  daughter. 

On  our  arrival  at  Paris,  my  grandmother  gave  my 
mother  her  own  apartment,  as  it  was  the  largest  in 

C>3] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  house.  During  her  last  moments  my  mother  was 
well  cared  for.  The  Queen  came  to  see  her,  and  every 
day  a  groom  or  a  page  was  sent  from  Versailles  to 
inquire  regarding  her.  She  grew  feebler  from  day  to 
day.  In  writing  these  lines,  after  forty-five  years,  I 
still  have  a  feeling  of  regret  that  nobody  spoke  of  the 
sacraments  of  the  Church,  or  thought  of  sending  for 
a  priest.  In  this  house  of  an  Archbishop  there  was 
not  even  a  chaplain.  My  mother  did  not  realize 
that  the  end  was  so  near.  The  yth  of  September, 
1782,  she  died  in  the  arms  of  my  maid. 

A  good  old  friend  of  my  mother's,  Mme.  Nagle, 
brought  me  the  sad  news.  In  the  morning  I  awoke 
to  find  her  beside  my  bed.  She  told  me  that  my  grand- 
mother had  left  the  house,  and  that  I  should  get  up 
and  follow  her,  and  ask  for  her  protection  and  care; 
that  now  I  depended  on  her  for  my  future.  She  said 
that  my  grandmother  was  on  bad  terms  with  my 
father,  who  was  then  in  America,  and  that  she  might 
disinherit  me.  My  young  heart,  which  was  nearly 
broken,  revolted  at  the  idea  of  this  dissimulation, 
and  the  good  lady  had  much  trouble  in  persuading 
me  to  allow  her  to  take  me  to  my  grandmother.  At 
last  I  consented,  and,  as  I  expected,  my  grandmother 
made  a  great  scene  of  despair,  which  produced  a  most 
painful  impression  upon  me. 

After  the  death  of  my  mother,  my  grandmother 
and  my  uncle  went  in  the  month  of  October,  1782, 
to  Hautefontaine  and  took  me  with  them,  as  well  as 
my  instructor  Monsieur  Combes,  who  occupied  him- 
self exclusively  with  my  education. 

C14] 


DEATH  OF   MME.    IMLLON 

I  was  very  fond  of  this  chateau,  which  I  knew 
would  one  day  belong  to  nie.  It  was  a  beautiful 
estate,  all  en  domaines,  about  twenty-two  leagues  from 
Paris,  between  Villers-Cotterets  and  Soissons.  The 
chateau,  built  towards  the  beginning  of  the  previous 
century,  was  situated  upon  a  very  steep  hill.  It  over- 
looked a  fertile  little  valley,  or  rather  gorge,  opening 
out  upon  the  forest  of  Compiegne,  which  formed  an 
amphitheatre  at  the  back  of  the  picture.  Prairies, 
woods,  ponds  of  clear  water  filled  with  fish,  were 
situated  beyond  a  fine  kitchen  garden,  which  you 
overlooked  from  the  windows  of  the  chateau.  The 
chateau  itself,  although  it  had  no  architectural 
beauty,  was  convenient,  vast,  perfectly  furnished  and 
well  cared  for  in  every  detail. 

My  uncle,  my  grandmother  and  my  mother  had 
accompanied  my  father  as  far  as  Brest  when  he  em- 
barked in  1779  for  the  war  in  the  Antilles.  On  his 
return  my  uncle  bought  at  Lorient  the  whole  cargo 
of  a  vessel  just  arrived  from  India,  consisting  of 
Chinese  and  Japanese  porcelains,  and  Persian  cloth 
of  all  colors  for  the  hangings  of  our  apartments.  All 
these  riches  were  unpacked,  to  my  great  joy,  and 
arranged  in  the  large  garde-meubles^  where  the  old 
concierge  let  me  roam  with  my  maid  when  the 
weather  did  not  permit  me  to  go  out. 

During  the  life  of  my  mother  the  residence  at 
Hautefontaine  had  been  very  brilliant,  but  after  her 
death  all  this  was  completely  changed.  My  grand- 
mother had  taken  possession,  in  the  absence  of  my 
father,  of  all  of  my  mother's  papers,  and  of  all  of  the 
correspondence  which  she  had  preserved.  The  fortune 

C15] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

of  my  grandfather  had  run  through  her  hands,  and 
all  of  our  investments  had  changed  in  nature  during 
the  minority  of  my  mother.  She  was  only  fifteen 
years  of  age  when  she  lost  her  father,  General  de 
Rothe,  who  died  suddenly  at  Hautefontaine,  only  a 
short  time  after  purchasing  this  property.  He  had 
bought  the  chateau  in  the  name  of  his  wife,  under  the 
pretext  that  it  was  paid  for  exclusively  with  the 
funds — 10,000  pounds  sterling  —  given  as  a  dot  to 
my  grandmother  by  her  father,  Lord  Falkland. 

My  grandfather  had  inherited  the  fortune  of  his 
mother.  Lady  Catherine  de  Rothe,  and  also  that  of 
his  aunt,  the  Duchess  of  Perth,  both  daughters  of 
Lord  Middleton,  Minister  of  James  II.  Another 
relative  had  left  him,  at  Paris,  the  house  in  which 
we  lived.  Rue  du  Bac,  and  4,000  livres  of  rentes  upon 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  of  Paris.  These  two  investments 
were  the  only  ones  which  remained  at  the  death  of 
Monsieur  de  Rothe,  when  my  mother  came  into 
possession. 

My  great-uncle,  the  Archbishop,  had  lived  in  the 
house  in  the  Rue  du  Bac  for  twenty  years  without 
paying  a  sou  of  rent  to  his  niece  and  without  even 
paying  for  the  repairs.  When  he  left  the  house  after 
the  death  of  my  mother  and  leased  another,  he 
borrowed  40,000  francs  on  mortgage  and  used  the 
money  for  repairs  which  were  urgently  necessary.  I 
did  not  know  anything  about  this  debt,  which  I  was 
obliged  to  pay  myself  when  I  sold  the  house  in  1797. 
At  the  death  of  my  mother,  all  that  I  received  was 
this  house  in  the  Rue  du  Bac,  which  was  leased  for 
10  000  francs  to  the  Baron  de  Stael,  who  afterwards 

[16] 


DEATH  OF   MME.   DILLON 

married  the  celebrated  Mile.  Necker,  and  the  4,000 
francs  of  income  spoken  of  above.  I  had  no  expecta- 
tions from  my  father.  He  had  already  spent  the 
portion  of  10,000  pounds  sterling  which  he  had  in- 
herited with  the  Dillon  Regiment,  of  which  he  was 
proprietaire-ney  as  heir  of  his  uncles  James  and 
Edward,  who  were  killed  wi-thin  two  years  of  each 
other. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  autumn  of  1782,  my  uncle 
set  out  as  usual  for  Montpellier  to  preside  over  the 
States  of  Languedoc.  As  Archbishop  of  Narbonne, 
he  had  this  prerogative,  which  he  exercised  over  the 
period  of  twenty-eight  years. 

My  grandmother  and  I  remained  at  Hautefontaine, 
where  we  were  very  lonely.  When  my  grandmother 
found  herself  alone  at  Hautefontaine,  in  that  grand 
chateau  formerly  so  animated  and  brilliant;  when  she 
saw  the  empty  stables;  when  she  no  longer  heard  the 
baying  of  the  hounds  and  the  horns  of  the  hunters, 
she  became  desirous  of  changing  her  mode  of  life 
and  of  persuading  the  Archbishop  to  do  the  same. 

When  the  Archbishop  returned  from  Montpellier, 
where  he  had  remained  only  the  time  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  meeting  of  the  States,  we  went  to 
meet  him  at  Paris.  My  father  at  that  time  was 
Governor  of  the  island  of  Saint-Christophe,  which  he 
had  captured  during  the  expedition  in  which  his  regi- 
ment had  gloriously  contributed  to  the  success  of  the 
French  forces.  In  his  absence  my  guardians  repre- 
sented to  my  great-uncle  that  he  should  no  longer 
continue  to  live  in  my  house  without  paying  any 
rent  or  even  looking  after  the  repairs.  He  therefore 

[■7] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

made  up  his  mind  to  leave  the  house,  and,  as  already 
stated,  borrowed  on  mortgage  the  funds  necessary 
for  the  repairs. 

About  this  same  time  my  grandmother,  who  was 
tired  of  Hautefontaine,  bought,  for  52,000  francs,  a 
house  at  Montfermeil,  near  Livry,  about  five  leagues 
from  Paris.  The  price  was  very  moderate,  for  the 
land  comprised  ninety  acres.  The  house,  which  was 
in  a  charming  situation,  was  named  Folie-Joyeuse.  It 
had  been  built  by  a  Monsieur  de  Joyeuse,  who  had 
begun  the  construction  where  one  ordinarily  leaves 
ofi^.  After  having  laid  out  a  fine  court,  enclosed  by  a 
railing,  he  built,  at  the  right  and  left,  two  wings 
terminated  by  two  handsome  square  pavilions.  He 
had  then  found  himself  short  of  the  money  necessary 
to  build  the  body  of  the  house,  so  that  the  only 
communication  between  the  two  pavilions  was  by  a 
corridor  at  least  one  hundred  feet  long.  His  creditors 
had  then  seized  the  house.  The  park  was  beautiful, 
surrounded  by  walls,  with  every  path  terminating 
at  a  gate,  and  all  the  outlets  opening  on  the  forest 
of  Bondy,  which  was  charming  in  this  locality. 

The  furniture  was  brought  from  Hautefontaine, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1783  we  were  quite  well  estab- 
lished at  Folie-Joyeuse.  The  first  year  no  repairs 
were  made,  but  we  passed  the  summer  in  laying  out 
plans  with  architects  and  decorators,  which  interested 
me  very  much. 


Ci8] 


CHAPTER  THREE 

1783-1786 

VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

Annual  Trips  of  Mile.  Dillon  to  Languedoc. —  Method  of 
Travel  at  That  Epoch. —  The  Route  to  Languedoc. — 
Nimes  and  Montpellier. —  Etiquette  at  Dinners. —  Society 
at  Montpellier. — Return  of  Monsieur  Dillon  to  France. — 
He  Weds  Mme.  de  La  Touche. —  He  Takes  the  Government 
ofTabago. —  First  Plans  for  the  Marriage  of  Mile.  Dillon. — ■ 
Sojourn  at  Bordeaux. —  Another  Dillon  Family.^ — ^The  Comte 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  and  His  Son,  the  Comte  de  Gouvernet. 

IN  the  month  of  November,  1783,  I  learned  that 
my  grandmother  would  accompany  my  uncle, 
the  Archbishop,  to  the  meeting  of  the  States  of 
Languedoc.  This  news  caused  me  great  joy.  At  this 
time  the  annual  session  of  the  States  was  a  very 
brilliant  occasion.  Peace  had  just  been  concluded,  and 
the  English,  deprived  for  three  years  of  the  possi- 
bility of  travelling  on  the  Continent,  came  over  in 
crowds,  as  they  did  later  in  18 14.  At  that  time  people 
did  not  travel  so  much  in  Italy.  The  fine  roads  by 
Mt.  Cenis  and  the  Simplon,  and  the  magnificent 
route  by  the  Corniche,  constructed  during  the  reign 
of  Napoleon,  were  not  then  in  existence.  The  climate 
of  the  south  of  France,  especially  that  of  Languedoc 
and  Montpellier,  was  very  attractive. 

The  thought  of  this  journey,  practically  the  first 
I  had  ever  taken,  filled  me  with  joy.  I  will  relate 

[19] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

here  once  for  all  how  we  made  the  trip  to  Mont- 
pellier,  as  we  went  there  every  year  until  1786  when 
I  made  my  last  visit. 

We  set  out  in  a  large  herline  with  six  horses.  My 
uncle  and  my  grandmother  were  seated  in  the  back, 
with  myself  and  the  secretary  of  my  uncle  facing 
them,  and  two  domestics  upon  the  box  seat  in  front. 
The  second  berli7ie,  also  with  six  horses,  carried  our 
two  maids  and  two  valets,  with  two  servants  upon 
the  box  seat.  A  chaise  de  poste  brought  the  maitre 
d'hotel  and  the  chef.  There  were  also  three  couriers, 
one  of  whom  went  a  half-hour  ahead,  while  the  other 
two  accompanied  the  carriages.  Monsieur  Combes, 
my  instructor,  left  several  days  before  us  by  diligence. 

Every  year  the  Ministers  kept  my  great-uncle  so 
long  at  Versailles  that  he  had  hardly  sufficient  time 
to  arrive  at  Montpellier  by  the  day  fixed  for  the 
opening  of  the  States.  The  session  could  not  com- 
mence until  the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne,  who  was 
President,  ex  officio,  was  present. 

The  delay  caused  by  the  Ministers  obliged  us  to 
travel  as  fast  as  possible  —  a  very  disagreeable  ne- 
cessity at  this  advanced  season  of  the  year.  As  we 
needed  eighteen  horses,  the  order  of  the  Administra- 
tion des  Pastes  preceded  us  by  several  days,  in  order 
that  the  horses  might  be  ready.  We  made  very  long 
daily  trips.  Setting  out  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, we  stopped  only  for  dinner.  The  chaise  de  poste 
and  the  first  courier  had  preceded  us  by  an  hour. 
This  arrangement  permitted  us  to  find  the  table 
ready,  the  fires  lighted,  and  several  good  dishes 
prepared  by  our  chef  when  we  arrived.  The  chef 

[20] 


VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

carried  with  him  from  Paris,  in  his  carriage,  bottles 
of  soup  and  sauces  all  prepared,  and  everything  that 
was  necessary  to  make  palatable  the  bad  meals 
which  we  found  at  the  hotels.  As  soon  as  we  arrived, 
the  chaise  de  poste  and  the  first  courier  set  out,  so 
that  when  we  halted  for  the  night  we  found  every- 
thing ready  for  us  the  same  as  at  noon. 

At  that  time  the  route,  which  followed  the  course 
of  the  Rhone  as  far  as  Pont-Saint-Esprit,  was  in  such 
bad  order  that  you  ran  the  risk  of  being  overturned 
at  every  moment. 

At  La  Palud  we  entered  the  territory  of  the  Comte 
Venaissin,  which  belonged  to  the  Pope.  It  gave  me 
great  pleasure  to  see  the  guide-post  upon  which  was 
painted  the  tiara  and  the  keys.  I  felt  as  though  we 
were  entering  Italy.  We  left  the  highway  to  Marseille 
and  followed  an  excellent  road,  which  the  Papal 
Government  had  permitted  the  States  of  Languedoc 
to  construct,  and  which  led  directly  to  Pont-Saint- 
Esprit. 

At  La  Palud  my  uncle  changed  his  costume.  He 
put  on  a  wadded  costume  of  violet  cloth,  lined  with 
silk  of  the  same  color;  silk  stockings,  also  violet  in 
color;  shoes  with  gold  buckles;  his  cordon  bleu,  and 
a  three-cornered  priest's  hat  ornamented  with  gold 
tassels. 

As  soon  as  the  carriage  had  passed  the  last  arch 
of  the  bridge  at  Pont-Saint-Esprit,  the  cannon  of  the 
little  citadel  at  this  bridge-head  fired  twenty-one 
shots.  The  drums  beat  a  salute,  the  garrison  came 
out,  the  oflficers  in  full  dress,  and  all  the  civil  and 

[21] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

religious  authorities  presented  themselves  at  the  door 
of  the  berline.  If  it  was  not  raining,  my  uncle  de- 
scended while  they  attached  the  eight  horses  destined 
for  his  carriage. 

He  listened  to  the  harangues  which  they  addressed 
to  him,  and  replied  with  affability  and  incomparable 
grace.  He  was  very  tall,  with  a  noble  face,  and  a 
voice  and  air  at  the  same  time  gracious  and  assured. 
He  asked  for  information  regarding  everything  which 
might  interest  the  inhabitants;  listened  to  the  peti- 
tions which  were  addressed  to  him;  and  the  following 
year  he  still  remembered  the  requests  which  had 
been  made  of  him  the  preceding  year.  All  this  lasted 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  after  which  we  set  out 
like  the  wind,  for  not  only  had  the  postilions  been 
doubled,  but  the  honor  of  conducting  the  carriage  of 
so  great  a  personage  was  warmly  appreciated. 

In  the  eyes  of  the  inhabitants  of  Languedoc  the 
President  of  the  States  was  a  much  greater  man  than 
the  King.  My  uncle  was  extremely  popular.  Although 
he  was  very  haughty,  his  arrogance  was  never  shown 
except  to  those  who  were,  or  who  thought  they  were, 
his  superiors. 

We  spent  the  night  at  Nimes,  where  my  uncle 
always  had  business.  One  year  we  spent  several  days 
with  the  Archbishop,  which  gave  me  the  time  to  see 
the  antiquities,  although  the  monuments  were  not 
as  well  cared  for  as  at  present.  They  had  just  com- 
menced to  clear  up  the  Arenes  and  had  brought  to 
light  several  new  inscriptions. 

Finally  we  arrived  at  Montpellier.  After  having 
travelled  i6o  leagues  of  detestable  roads,  after  having 

[22] 


VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

crossed  torrents  without  bridges,  where  you  ran  the 
risk  of  your  Hfe,  at  last  we  arrived  at  a  route  as  fine 
as  that  of  a  well-kept  estate.  We  crossed  superb 
bridges  perfectly  constructed.  We  traversed  cities 
flourishing  with  industry  and  a  country  which  was 
well  cultivated.  The  contrast  was  very  striking. 

The  house  in  which  we  lived  at  Montpellier  was 
large  and  beautiful  but  very  dismal.  It  was  situated 
in  a  narrow  and  sombre  street.  My  uncle  rented  it 
all  furnished.  The  apartment  which  he  occupied  on 
the  first  floor  contained  very  fine  Turkish  rugs,  which 
were  common  in  Languedoc  at  that  time.  The  house 
surrounded  the  four  sides  of  a  square  court,  one  side 
of  which  was  taken  up  by  the  large  dining-room, 
another  by  a  salon  of  the  same  dimensions,  with  six 
windows,  which  was  hung  and  furnished  in  fine 
crimson  damask,  with  an  immense  chimney  of  very 
ancient  design,  which  to-day  would  be  much  admired. 

My  grandmother  and  I  occupied  the  lower  floor, 
which  was  dark  even  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
We  never  saw  my  uncle  in  the  morning.  We  took 
breakfast  at  nine  o'clock,  after  which  I  went  out 
for  a  walk  with  my  English  maid.  At  three  o'clock 
precisely,  it  was  necessary  to  be  dressed  and  ready 
for  dinner.  We  ascended  to  the  salon  where  we  found 
fifty  guests  assembled  every  day  except  Friday. 
Saturday  my  uncle  always  dined  abroad,  either  with 
the  Bishop  or  with  some  great  personage  of  the 
States.  There  were  never  any  ladies  present  at  dinner, 
except  my  grandmother  and  myself.  Between  us 
were  placed  the  guests  most  highly  regarded.  When 
there  were  any  strangers,  especially  English,  they 

•        [23] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

were  seated  at  my  side.  At  that  time  every  person 
who  had  a  presentable  domestic  was  served  by  him 
at  table.  Neither  carafes  nor  glasses  were  placed  upon 
the  table.  At  the  large  dinners,  there  were  placed 
upon  the  buffet  silver  buckets  containing  bottles  of 
wine  and  a  glass-stand  with  a  dozen  glasses,  and  any 
one  who  wished  a  glass  of  wine  of  any  kind  sent  his 
servant  to  obtain  it. 

I  had  a  servant  attached  to  my  person  who  was 
at  the  same  time  my  coiffeur.  He  wore  my  livery, 
which  we  were  obliged  to  have  in  red,  although  in 
England  it  was  blue,  because  our  stripes  were  exactly 
the  same  as  those  of  the  House  of  Bourbon.  If  our 
costumes  had  been  blue,  our  livery  would  have  been 
exactly  the  same  as  the  King's,  which  was  not  allowed. 

After  dinner,  which  never  lasted  more  than  one 
hour,  we  returned  to  the  salon  which  was  filled  with 
members  of  the  States  who  had  come  for  coffee.  No- 
body sat  down,  and  at  the  end  of  a  half-hour  my 
grandmother  and  I  descended  to  our  apartment. 
We  then  frequently  went  out  to  make  visits  in  a 
chaise  a  porteurs,  which  was  the  only  means  of  trans- 
portation used  in  the  streets  of  Montpellier.  The  fine 
quarter  of  the  city,  which  has  been  built  since,  was 
not  in  existence  at  that  epoch. 

On  our  arrival  at  Paris,  at  the  beginning  of  1784, 
my  father  had  returned  from  America.  He  had  been 
Governor  of  Saint-Christophe  until  peace  had  been 
declared.  After  having  surrendered  the  island  to  the 
English,  he  had  made  a  visit  to  Martinique,  where  he 
became  strongly  attached   to  the  Comtesse  de  La 


VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

Touche,  who  was  the  widow,  at  thirty  years,  of  an 
officer  of  the  Navy  who  had  left  her  two  children  — 
a  boy  and  a  girl.  She  was  very  agreeable  and  very 
rich.  Her  mother,  Mme.  de  Girardin,  was  a  sister  of 
Mme.  de  La  Pagerie,  the  mother  of  Josephine,  later 
Empress  of  the  French.  At  this  time  she  had  recently 
married  her  daughter  to  Vicomte  de  Beauharnais, 
who  had  taken  her  with  him  to  France.  Mme.  de  La 
Touche  had  made  her  plans  to  go  to  France  with  her 
two  children,  Alexandre  and  Betsy,  who  was  later 
Duchesse  de  Fitz-James.  My  father  followed  them  to 
France,  and  at  this  time  people  began  to  talk  of  their 
marriage.  On  hearing  the  news,  my  grandmother 
flew  into  a  rage,  and  nobody  could  calm  her.  Never- 
theless, it  was  very  natural  that  my  father  should 
wish  to  marry  again,  in  the  hope  of  having  a  son. 
He  was  only  thirty-three  years  of  age  and  was 
proprietaire  of  one  of  the  finest  regiments  of  the 
army.  Conducted  to  France  by  his  grandfather, 
Arthur  Dillon,  this  regiment  had  never  changed  its 
name,  like  the  other  regiments  of  the  Irish  Brigade. 
Without  doubt,  it  would  have  been  better  if  he  had 
chosen  for  his  new  wife  the  daughter  of  one  of  the 
titled  Catholic  families  of  England,  but  he  did  not 
like  the  English,  and  he  did  love  Mme.  de  La  Touche. 
Of  a  very  sweet  and  amiable  character,  although 
feeble,  she  had  the  careless  and  easy-going  ways  of 
the  Creoles. 

The  marriage  took  place,  in  spite  of  my  grand- 
mother, who  made  a  great  fuss.  My  father  wished 
to  have  me  presented  to  my  stepmother,  but  he  gave 
up   the   idea  on  account  of  the  opposition  of  my 

C25] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

grandmother.  She  declared  that  if  I  ever  went  out 
of  the  house,  even  for  an  hour,  to  visit  Mme.  Dillon, 
I  should  never  come  back.  The  only  visit  that  I  ever 
made  to  my  stepmother  was  in  1786,  when  my  father 
left  to  take  the  position  of  Governor  of  the  island  of 
Tabago. 

My  father  was  very  much  dissatisfied  because  he 
had  not  been  named  Governor  of  Martinique  or  of 
Saint-Domingue,  as  he  had  acquired  the  right  to  de- 
mand one  or  the  other  of  these  two  posts.  During 
the  war  he  had  won  the  greatest  distinction.  His 
regiment  had  carried  off  the  first  success  of  the  cam- 
paign by  taking  by  assault  the  island  of  Grenade  of 
which  the  Governor,  Lord  Macartney,  was  his 
prisoner.  He  had  also  powerfully  contributed  to  the 
capture  of  the  islands  of  Saint-Eustache  and  Saint- 
Christophe.  He  was  Governor  of  this  last  named 
island  for  two  years.  When  he  turned  it  over  to  the 
English,  at  the  time  of  the  peace  of  1783,  the  in- 
habitants gave  him  many  evidences  of  their  esteem 
and  appreciation,  of  which  the  echoes  reached  even 
to  England.  My  father  received  the  most  flattering 
evidences  of  this  feeling  at  the  time  of  his  visit  to 
England  on  his  return  to  Europe. 

My  uncle,  the  Archbishop,  dominated  and  in- 
fluenced by  my  grandmother,  instead  of  lending  his 
support  to  his  nephew  to  aid  him  to  obtain  one  of 
these  two  governorships  of  Martinique  or  Saint- 
Domingue,  did  not  assist  him  in  any  way.  My  father, 
therefore,  accepted  the  governorship  of  Tabago,  where 
he  resided  until  he  was  elected  Deputy  of  Martinique 
to  the  States-General.  He  left  France  accompanied 

[26] 


VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

by  his  wife  and  my  little  sister  Fanny,  who  later 
became  the  wife  of  General  Bertrand.  lie  also  took 
with  him  as  recorder  of  the  island,  my  instructor, 
Monsieur  Combes. 

Before  his  departure,  my  father  talked  with  my 
grandmother  of  a  project  which  he  wished  strongly 
to  see  carried  out.  He  had  known  at  Martinique, 
during  the  war,  a  young  man  who  was  aide  de  camp 
to  the  Marquis  de  Bouille,  whom  the  latter  liked 
extremely,  and  whom  my  father  also  highly  appreci- 
ated. My  grandmother  objected,  without  giving  the 
matter  much  consideration,  although  the  young  man 
was  of  high  birth  and  would  be  the  head  of  his  house, 
under  the  pretext  that  he  was  a  mauvais  sujet,  that 
he  had  many  debts  and  that  he  was  small  and 
homely.  I  was  so  young  that  my  father  did  not 
insist.  He  sent  my  uncle,  the  Archbishop,  a  procura- 
tion which  gave  him  the  power  to  arrange  my  mar- 
riage when  he  judged  that  the  time  had  arrived. 
However,  I  often  thought  of  the  parti  whom  my 
father  had  proposed  and  searched  for  information 
regarding  the  young  man.  My  cousin,  Dominique 
Sheldon,  brought  up  by  my  grandmother,  and  who 
lived  with  us,  knew  him  and  often  spoke  to  me  of 
him.  I  learned  that  he  had  had  indeed  a  very  lively 
youth,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  no  longer  to  think  of 
him. 

In  1785  our  sojourn  in  Languedoc  was  much 
longer  than  usual.  After  the  session  of  the  States 
we  went  to  pass  nearly  a  month  at  Alais,  with  the 
amiable  Bishop,  who  was  later  Cardinal  de  Bausset 
of  that  city.  This  trip  interested  me  very  much.  It 

C27] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

was  during  this  sojourn  at  Alais  that  I  acquired  my 
first  love  for  the  mountains.  This  Httle  city,  situated 
in  a  charming  valley,  surrounded  by  a  beautiful 
prairie  sprinkled  with  very  old  chestnut  trees,  is  in 
the  midst  of  the  Cevennes.  Every  day  we  made 
some  excursions  which  were  really  charming.  The 
young  people  of  the  country  had  formed  a  mounted 
guard  of  honor  for  my  uncle.  They  had  adopted  the 
English  uniform  of  the  Dillons,  red  with  yellow 
facings.  They  all  belonged  to  the  best  families  of  the 
country. 

To  my  great  regret  we  set  out  to  pass  two  months 
at  Narbonne,  where  I  had  never  been.  As  I  liked  to  be 
informed  regarding  all  matters  of  interest  in  the 
places  which  I  visited,  I  began  to  look  up  the  histories 
of  Narbonne  from  the  time  of  Caesar  to  that  of 
Cardinal  de  Richelieu,  who  had  formerly  occupied  the 
archiepiscopal  chateau,  which  was  similar  to  a  strong- 
hold of  the  middle  ages. 

From  Narbonne,  we  went  to  Toulouse,  by  way  of 
Saint-Papoul,  where  we  remained  several  days. 
From  there  we  went  to  Bordeaux,  where  we  made  a 
visit  of  seventeen  days  with  the  Archbishop. 

I  cannot  say  why  Bordeaux  interested  me  more 
than  the  other  cities  which  we  had  visited.  Here  we 
saw  Mme.  Dillon,  mother  of  all  those  Dillons  who 
have  always  pretended,  but  wrongly,  to  be  our 
relatives.  This  lady,  who  was  of  a  good  English 
family,  had  married  an  Irish  merchant  named  Dil- 
lon, whose  ancestors  had  probably  come  from  that 
part  of  Ireland   named,   until  the   reign  of  Queen 

[28] 


VISITS  TO  LANGUEDOC 

Elizabeth,  "Dillon's  country,"  where  a  great  number 
of  the  inhabitants,  the  same  as  in  Scotland,  took  the 
name  of  their  lord.  However  this  may  be,  this  Dillon 
had  no  success  in  business,  and,  having  raised  a 
certain  sum  of  money,  came  to  establish  himself  at 
Bordeaux,  where  he  entered  into  commerce.  His  wife 
was  a  woman  of  extraordinary  beauty,  well  known 
throughout  the  province.  Her  husband  died  leaving 
her  with  twelve  children  and  with  very  little  fortune, 
but  possessed  of  great  charms  and  much  courage. 
Marechal  de  Richelieu  befriended  her  and  recom- 
mended her  to  my  uncle  at  the  time  of  one  of  his  trips 
to  Bordeaux.  My  uncle  promised  to  look  after  her 
children  and  kept  his  word.  The  three  eldest,  who 
were  rather  beautiful  girls,  made  very  favorable 
marriages.  The  nine  sons,  who  were  without  excep- 
tion fine  fellows,  all  had  most  honorable  careers. 
At  Bordeaux,  several  days  before  my  departure,  my 
servant  when  dressing  my  hair  asked  my  permission 
to  go  that  evening  to  a  chateau  situated  at  a  short 
distance,  to  see  some  old  comrades.  He  rejoined  our 
carriages  at  the  passage  of  the  Dordogne,  at  Cubzac, 
not  far  from  the  chateau  which  he  had  visited.  I 
asked  the  name  of  the  place,  and  he  told  me  it  was 
called  Le  Boullh,  and  that  it  belonged  to  the  Comte 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin.  His  son  was  the  young  man 
whom  my  father  had  wished  me  to  marry  and  whom 
my  grandmother  had  refused.  I  asked  my  servant 
regarding  the  position  of  the  chateau  and  learned 
with  regret  that  it  could  not  be  seen  from  the  high- 
way. I  was  very  much  Interested  in  crossing  the  river 
at  Cubzac  to  learn  that  the  land  around  belonged 

[29] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

to  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  and  I  said  to  myself 
that  perhaps  I  might  some  day  be  the  lady  of  all 
this  fine  country.  I  took  good  care,  however,  not  to 
communicate  these  reflections  to  my  grandmother, 
who  would  not  have  received  them  with  pleasure. 
Nevertheless,  they  remained  in  the  back  of  my  head. 


[30] 


CHAPTER   FOUR 

1786 
MATRIMONIAL  PROJECTS 

New  Marriage  Plans. —  The  Marquis  Adrien  de  Laval. — 
Fortune  of  Mile.  Dillon. —  Regiments  of  the  Irish  Brigade. 
—  Portrait  of  Mile.  Dillon. —  Marechal  de  Biron. — 
Rupture  with  Monsieur  Adrien  de  Laval. —  The  Vicomte 
de  Fleury. —  M.  Esperance  de  L'Aigle. —  The  Comte  de 
Gouvernet. —  Decision  of  Mile.  Dillon. 

jk  T  the  time  of  our  return  to  Paris  I  was  six- 
/  \  teen  years  of  age,  and  my  grandmother  in- 
^  m.  formed  me  that  she  was  trying  to  arrange 
a  marriage  for  me  with  the  Marquis  Adrien  de  Laval. 
He  had  just  become  the  head  of  his  family  by  the 
death  of  his  brother,  who  left  a  widow  twenty  years 
of  age,  but  no  children.  The  Duchesse  de  Laval,  the 
mother  of  Adrien,  had  been  a  great  friend  of  my 
mother's.  She  was  very  desirous  of  seeing  this  mar- 
riage brought  about,  and  it  was  equally  agreeable  to 
me.  The  name  of  Laval-Montmorency  sounded  very 
agreeably  in  my  aristocratic  ears.  Young  Laval  had 
left  the  Seminaire  to  enter  the  Army  at  the  death 
of  his  brother.  Our  fathers  were  also  closely  associ- 
ated, but  the  principal  reason  which  led  me  to  wish 
this  marriage  was  that  I  would  be  able  to  leave  the 
house  of  my  grandmother.  I  was  no  longer  a  child. 
My  education  had  commenced  at  so  early  an  age 
that  at  sixteen  I  was  as  old  as  other  girls  at  twenty- 

[31] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

five.  With  my  grandmother  I  led  a  wretched  Hfe. 
I  was  very  miserable  and  ardently  desired  to  end 
this  unhappy  position.  Nevertheless,  being  in  the 
habit  of  reflecting  upon  my  fate,  I  had  resolved 
never  to  accept,  out  of  spite,  a  marriage  which 
would  not  be  e7i  rapport  with  my  situation  in  the 
world. 

I  was  considered  to  be  the  sole  heir  of  my  grand- 
mother, who  had  the  reputation  of  being  rich,  and 
was  so  in  reality.  The  fine  estate  of  Hautefontaine, 
situated  about  twenty-two  leagues  from  Paris,  with  a 
revenue  of  50,000  francs  from  the  farms,  without 
counting  the  woods,  the  lakes  and  the  fields;  a  pretty 
house  which  she  had  just  purchased  about  five  leagues 
from  Paris,  and  where  my  uncle  was  making  ex- 
tensive repairs;  with  rentes  upon  the  Hotel  de  Ville 
of  Paris  which  she  should  give  me  at  the  time  of  my 
marriage;  an  immense  amount  of  personal  property  — 
all  this  was  assured  to  me,  since  my  grandmother  was 
sixty  years  of  age  when  I  was  sixteen. 

Who  would  ever  have  suspected  that  my  uncle, 
with  over  400,000  francs  of  income,  was  in  financial 
difficulties  and  had  persuaded  my  grandmother  to 
borrow,  in  order  to  come  to  his  rescue.?  All  the  men 
who  wished  to  marry  me  were  blinded  by  these  fine 
appearances.  It  was  also  known  that,  at  the  time  of 
my  marriage,  I  would  have  the  position  of  Dame  du 
Palais  of  the  Queen.  This,  at  that  time,  weighed 
heavily  in  the  balance  in  the  grand  monde.  Eire  a  la 
Cour  sounded  very  fine.  The  Dames  du  Palais  were 
only  twelve  in  number.  My  mother  had  been  one, 
because  the  Queen  personally  loved  her  tenderly; 

C32] 


;7:;7   •  179H 


MATRIMONIAL    PROJECTS 

because  she  was  the  dauglitcr-in-la\v  of  a  Peer  of 
England  and  the  granddaughter  of  another,  Lord 
Falkland;  finally,  because  my  father,  a  distinguished 
officer,  was  counted  among  the  very  few  who  could 
become  Marshals  of  France. 

Of  the  three  regiments  of  the  Irish  Brigade,  Dillon 
and  Berwick  were  the  only  ones  which  had  preserved 
their  names.  I  remember  that  when  Monsieur  Walsh 
was  named  Colonel  of  the  regiment  which  took  his 
name.  Monsieur  de  Fitz-James  and  my  father  showed 
a  great  deal  of  discontent,  on  the  pretext  that  he  did 
not  belong  to  any  great  Irish  or  English  family.  The 
Duchesse  de  Fitz-James  —  Mile,  de  Thiard  —  was 
Dame  du  Palais,  like  my  mother,  and  a  woman  of 
the  same  age.  But  her  husband,  the  third  Due  de 
Fitz-James,  who  was  the  grandson  of  Marechal  de 
Berwick,  and  the  son  of  the  second  Due,  who  had 
also  been  Marechal  de  France,  enjoyed  a  very 
mediocre  military  reputation,  while  my  father  had 
greatly  distinguished  himself  during  the  war  which 
had  just  finished.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  he 
had  been  named  Brigadier,  a  grade  since  suppressed, 
which  represented  the  rank  intermediate  between 
the  grade  of  Colonel  and  that  of  Lieutenant-General. 

To  return  to  myself.  I  was  then  what  would  be 
called  from  every  point  of  view  a  good  match,  and 
since  I  am  on  the  subject  of  my  personal  advantages, 
I  think  this  is  the  place  to  trace  my  portrait.  It  w  ill 
not  be  very  attractive  on  paper,  because  I  owed  my 
reputation  for  beauty  only  to  my  figure,  my  general 
appearance,  and  not  at  all  to  my  features. 

[33] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  had  a  mass  of  light  blond  hair;  small  gray  eyes, 
with  very  few  eyelashes,  most  of  which  I  had  lost 
through  a  severe  attack  of  smallpox  at  the  age  of 
four;  I  had  thin  blond  eyebrows;  a  high  forehead, 
and  a  nose  which  was  said  to  be  Greek,  but  which 
was  long  and  too  large  at  the  end.  My  finest  feature 
was  my  mouth,  with  very  fresh  lips,  chiselled  like 
those  of  an  antique  statue,  and  beautiful  teeth 
which  I  have  preserved  intact  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one.  It  was  said  that  my  face  was  agreeable,  that  I 
had  a  gracious  smile,  and,  notwithstanding  all  this,  I 
could  be  considered  plain.  However,  a  large  and  beau- 
tiful figure  and  a  clear  and  transparent  complexion, 
with  a  great  deal  of  color,  gave  me  a  marked  superi- 
ority in  all  gatherings,  especially  by  day,  and  it  was 
certain  that  I  outshone  many  women  apparently 
endowed  with  superior  advantages. 

At  the  State  dinners  given  frequently  by  my  uncle 
during  the  summers  that  we  passed  at  Paris,  I 
often  saw  Marechal  de  Biron,  the  last  grand  seigneur 
of  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  Although  he  was  eighty- 
five  years  of  age,  while  I  was  only  fifteen,  he  had 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  me.  He  had  me  seated  at  table 
beside  him,  and  had  the  kindness  to  talk  with  me. 
At  Paris  he  had  a  large  and  beautiful  mansion,  now 
that  of  the  Sacre-Coeur,  with  a  splendid  garden  of 
three  or  four  acres  where  there  were  hothouses  filled 
with  rare  plants.  It  was  considered  a  particular  honor 
to  be  received  at  his  house.  One  day  in  speaking  with 
my  uncle,  he  said: 

"If  I  should  have  the  misfortune  to  lose  Mme.  la 
Marechale  de  Biron,  I  would  pray  Mile.  Dillon  to 

[34] 


MATRIMONIAL   PROJECTS 

take  my  name  and  to  permit  me  to  put  my  fortune 
at  her  feet." 

He  never  had  this  misfortune,  however,  of  which 
he  would  easily  have  consoled  himself.  His  wife 
survived  him  and  perished  upon  the  scaffold  with 
her  niece,  the  Duchesse  de  Biron. 

The  Marechal  died  in  1787  or  1788  and  had  a 
magnificent  funeral.  It  was  the  last  splendor  of  the 
Monarchy. 

My  marriage  with  Adrien  de  Laval  fell  through, 
because  the  Marechal  de  Laval,  his  grandfather, 
chose  for  his  wife  Mile,  de  Luxembourg.  He  married 
her  when  he  was  almost  a  child  and  when  she  herself 
was  hardly  eighteen  years  of  age.  I  regretted  this  on 
account  of  the  name. 

My  grandmother  then  proposed  to  me  the  name 
of  the  Vicomte  de  Fleury,  with  whom  I  did  not  wish 
to  have  an^^thing  to  do.  His  reputation  was  bad.  He 
had  neither  esprit  nor  distinction,  and  he  also  be- 
longed to  the  younger  branch  of  a  house  without  any 
great  reputation.  I  therefore  refused  him. 

The  next  candidate  was  Esperance  de  L'Aigle,  of 
whom  I  had  seen  a  great  deal  during  our  youth.  I 
did  not  think  that  his  name  was  sufficiently  illustrious. 
My  decision  was  perhaps  unreasonable,  as  he  was 
really  a  very  good  match.  We  belonged  to  the  same 
circle  in  society.  The  estate  of  his  father  was  situated 
only  six  or  seven  leagues  from  Hautefontaine.  All 
these  facts  were  in  favor  of  our  union.  Nevertheless, 
I  refused  him. 

Marriages  are  made  in  Heaven.  I  had  taken  it 
into  my  head  to  marry  the  Comte  de  Gouvernet, 

C35] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

notwithstanding  the  fact  that  I  had  never  seen  him 
and  every  one  spoke  badly  of  him.  I  knew  that  he 
was  small  and  plain;  that  he  gambled  and  contracted 
debts.  Nevertheless,  my  resolution  was  made.  I  told 
my  cousin  Sheldon  that  I  would  marry  no  one  else. 
He  attempted,  but  without  success,  to  reason  me  out 
of  what  he  called  my  folly. 

In  the  month  of  November,  1789,  we  were  just 
about  to  set  out  for  Languedoc  when  one  morning 
my  grandmother  said : 

"This  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet  continues  to  come 
back  with  his  proposals  of  marriage.  Mme.  de  Mon- 
conseil,  his  grandmother,  is  endeavoring  to  get  the 
best  of  us  on  all  sides;  his  father  is  Commandant  of  a 
province  and  will  be  Marshal  of  France.  He  is  a  man 
who  enjoys  the  highest  consideration  in  the  Army. 
The  Queen  herself  desires  it,  for  the  Princesse  d'Henin, 
the  daughter  of  Mme.  de  Monconseil,  has  spoken  to 
her  about  it.  Therefore  think  and  decide  about  it." 

To  which  I  replied  without  hesitation, "  I  have  made 
up  my  mind.  I  do  not  ask  for  anything  better." 

My  grandmother  was  stupefied.  She  hoped,  I 
think,  that  I  would  refuse  him.  She  could  not  con- 
ceive why  I  should  prefer  him  to  Monsieur  de  L'Aigle. 
In  reality,  I  could  not  have  told  why  myself.  It  was 
an  instinct,  an  impulse  coming  from  Heaven.  God 
had  destined  me  for  him. 

We  set  out  for  Montpellier  without  any  further 
talk  on  the  subject  of  this  marriage.  One  morning 
my  grandmother  informed  me  that  my  uncle  had 
received  a  charming  letter  from  Mme.  de  Monconseil; 
that  she  extremely  desired  my  marriage  with  her 

C36] 


MATRIMONIAL   PROJIXTS 

grandson  for  whom  she  had  the  warmest  affection; 
that  she  would  do  everything  in  her  power  to  bring 
about  our  union;  but  that  she  was  not  on  good  terms 
with  her  son-in-law,  the  Comte  de  La  Tour  du  Pin, 
who  did  not  get  on  well  with  his  wife  and  had  not 
lived  with  her  for  many  years.  This  was  the  first 
time  that  I  had  heard  of  this  family  trouble.  Although 
they  did  not  live  together,  they  were  not  legally 
separated,  as  the  family  had  wished  to  avoid  scandal 
on  account  of  the  Princesse  d'Henin,  the  sister  of 
Mme.  de  La  Four  du  Pin,  and  also  on  account  of  her 
daughter,  the  Marquise  de  Lameth. 

The  Marquise  de  Monconseil  was  then  eighty-five 
years  of  age,  but  was  still  considered  beautiful.  Her 
husband,  who  was  an  officer,  like  nearly  all  the 
gentlemen  of  that  epoch,  had  married  her  very 
young.  He  had  been  a  page  of  Louis  XIV  and  had 
had  a  very  lively  and  dissipated  youth.  He  had 
served  in  all  the  wars  at  the  end  of  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIV  and  in  those  of  Louis  XV. 

At  the  age  of  forty,  Monsieur  de  Monconseil  left 
the  service  and  retired  to  his  estate  of  Tesson  in 
Saintonge.  Here  he  spent  most  of  his  life  until  his 
death  at  the  age  of  ninety.  He  had  a  fine  house  at 
Saintes,  where  he  passed  three  months  during  the 
winter.  The  rest  of  the  year  he  lived  at  Tesson  where 
he  himself  had  laid  out  and  planted  the  park  and 
gardens.  Occasionally,  he  went  to  Paris  to  see  his 
wife,  who  had  a  very  fine  mansion.  He  was  very 
fond  of  his  grandson,  who  frequently  visited  him  at 
Tesson. 

[37] 


CHAPTER  FIVE 

1787 

THE  MARRIAGE  PRELIMINARIES 

Convocation  of  the  Notables. —  Return  to  Paris. —  Death  of 
Mme.  de  Monconseil. —  Monsieur  de  Gourvernet's  Marriage 
Proposal  Accepted. —  Visit  of  Mme.  d'Henin. —  Signature 
of  the  Contract. —  Toilette  the  Day  of  the  Fiangailles. — • 
Politeness  at  this  Epoch. —  The  Four  Lameth  Brothers. — 
The  Marriage  Contract. —  The  Comte  and  Comtesse  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin. —  A  Visit  to  the  Queen. —  At  Montfermeil. 
—  The  Trousseau  and  the  Corbeille. 

THE  last  trip  which  I  made  to  Montpellier, 
during  the  winter  of  1786  and  1787,  was  to 
me  the  most  brilliant  of  alL  Nevertheless,  I 
was  very  desirous  of  returning  to  Paris  where  my 
fate  was  to  be  decided.  We  set  out  sooner  than  I 
had  expected.  My  uncle  had  promised  this  year  to 
visit  Marseille  and  Toulon  before  our  return  to 
Paris.  I  was  rejoicing  at  this  arrangement,  when  a 
courier  arrived  with  the  news  of  the  convocation  of 
the  first  assembly  of  the  Notables,  of  which  my  uncle 
was  a  member.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  set  out 
for  Paris  the  day  after  the  closing  of  the  session  of 
the  States  and  to  give  up  our  visit  to  Marseille  and 
Toulon. 

My  uncle,  who  was  not  feeling  very  well,  wished  to 
spend  the  night  at  Fontainebleau,  so  that  he  might 
not  be  too  fatigued  on  his  arrival  at  Paris  and  be 

C38] 


THE   MARRIAGE   PRELIMINARIES 

able  to  go  the  next  morning  to  Versailles.  We  always 
found  our  house  ready  for  us,  as  though  we  had  not 
left  it  at  all. 

The  evening  of  our  arrival  there  were  several 
visitors,  among  whom  was  a  fat  German  named 
Comte  de  Bentheim,  whose  wife  was  a  friend  of  my 
grandmother's.  My  uncle  at  once  asked  him  the  news 
of  Paris.  He  replied:  "Mme.  de  Monconseil  is  dead." 

I  turned  pale,  and  my  uncle,  noticing  my  agitation, 
said  to  me  in  English  that  this  would  not  in  any  way 
change  our  plans.  For  several  days  I  heard  nothing 
except  conversation  regarding  the  death  of  this  Mme. 
de  Monconseil,  of  the  grief  of  her  daughter,  Mme. 
d'Henin,  and  of  her  grandson.  Monsieur  de  Gou- 
vernet,  who  had  taken  care  of  her  in  an  admirable 
manner. 

Monsieur  de  Gouvernet,  in  the  absence  of  his 
father,  took  occasion  at  once  to  notify  my  uncle 
that  the  loss  of  his  grandmother  would  in  no  way 
change  his  desire  for  his  union  with  our  family.  He 
demanded  permission  of  my  uncle  to  go  to  his  father 
and  tell  him  personally  that  his  demand  for  my  hand 
would  be  satisfactory  to  me  and  my  family.  Upon 
the  affirmative  response  of  my  great-uncle,  he  im- 
mediately set  out  for  Bordeaux.  Before  the  week  was 
over  he  had  returned  from  Le  Bouilh  where  he  had 
talked  with  his  father  and  had  arranged  to  have  him 
write  a  letter  to  make  a  formal  demand  for  my  hand. 
It  was  settled  that  he  should  present  himself  the 
following  morning  at  my  grandmother's  house,  but 
that  he  was  not  to  see  me  until  after  the  articles  were 
signed,  which  was  the  usage  at  that  time. 

[39] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

This  memorable  morning  I  hid  myself  behind  a 
curtain  and  saw  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet  descend 
from  his  carriage  and  enter  the  house.  He  remained 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  it  was  arranged  that  the 
articles  should  be  signed  as  soon  as  they  could  be 
drawn  up  by  the  notary. 

The  arrangements  were  not  terminated  before  the 
end  of  the  week,  and  in  the  meantime  Mme.  d'Henin 
paid  a  visit  to  my  grandmother.  She  asked  to  see  me, 
as  I  had  expected.  I  was  so  much  afraid  of  this 
grande  dame,  so  elegant  and  imposing,  who  was 
going  to  examine  me  from  head  to  foot,  that  I  could 
hardly  control  myself  on  entering  the  room.  She  took 
my  hand  and  kissed  me  and  then  exclaimed:  "Ah! 
la  belle  taille!  EUe  est  charmante.  Mon  neveu  est 
bien  heureux!" 

This  visit  took  place,  I  think,  the  eve  of  the  day 
on  which  the  articles  were  to  be  signed.  It  was  not 
customary  for  the  young  lady  to  be  present  at  the 
reading  of  the  articles,  but  as  soon  as  this  was  over, 
I  was  sent  for.  I  was  placed  beside  Mme.  d'Henin 
and  my  aunt  Lady  Jerningham,  who  took  pity  on 
m.y  embarrassment. 

My  toilette  was  very  simple.  I  had  requested  my 
grandmother  to  let  me  order  it  myself.  At  that  time 
the  gowns  which  were  worn  were  laced  behind  and 
plainly  indicated  the  figure.  They  were  therefore 
called  "sheaths"  {fourreaux).  My  robe  was  of  white 
gauze,  without  any  ornaments,  with  a  sash  of  dark 
blue  ribbon  with  fringed  ends  of  brilliant  English 
silk. 

From  this  time  on.  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet  came 

C40] 


THE   MARRIAGE    PRELIMINARIES 

every  day  for  dinner  or  supper,  either  at  Paris  or  at 
Versailles,  where  my  uncle  was  established  since  the 
commencement  of  the  meeting  of  the  Notables. 

My  grandmother  and  I  remained  at  Paris,  but 
every  day  at  one-thirty  we  set  out  for  Versailles 
where  we  arrived  for  dinner  at  three  o'clock. 

Monsieur  de  Gouvernet  had  presented  to  my  uncle 
his  brother-in-law,  the  Marquis  de  Lameth,  and  two 
brothers  of  the  latter,  Charles  and  Alexandre.  The 
fourth  brother,  Theodore,  whom  I  knew  later,  was 
not  there  at  the  time. 

Finally  the  meeting  of  the  Notables  ended,  and  my 
uncle  returned  to  Paris,  where  the  day  of  the  signa- 
ture of  the  contract  was  arranged  for  the  first  of 
May.  I  do  not  now  recall  the  details  of  my  toilette, 
but  I  think  that  it  must  have  been  rose  or  blue,  for 
the  white  robe  was  reserved  for  the  day  of  marriage. 

A  few  days  previously  I  had  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  my  future  father-in-law,  the  Comte  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin.  He  was  a  little  man  but  very  erect, 
very  well  built  and  had  been  handsome  in  his  youth. 
He  had  admirable  teeth,  fine  eyes,  an  air  of  assurance 
and  a  charming  smile.  He  had  served  during  the 
Seven  Years'  War  as  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  called 
les  Grenadiers  de  France^  which  was  composed  of  the 
elite  of  all  the  other  regiments. 

The  Queen,  who  approved  of  my  marriage,  ex- 
pressed the  desire  to  see  me  and  asked  my  uncle  to 
bring  me  to  her,  together  with  Mme.  d'Henin.  The 
day  of  my  visit  at  Versailles  I  found  myself  in  the 
presence  of  the  Queen  without  really  knowing  how 

C41] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  got  there.  She  kissed  me  and  I  kissed  her  hand. 
She  made  me  sit  down  beside  her  and  asked  me  a 
thousand  questions  regarding  my  education  and  so 
on,  but  I  was  too  embarrassed  to  reply.  Finally,  tak- 
ing pity  upon  my  diffidence,  the  Queen  talked  with 
my  uncle  and  Mme.  d'Henin.  I  am  afraid  that  my 
timidity  made  an  unfavorable  impression  on  the 
Queen,  which  was  perhaps  never  effaced. 

We  went  to  Montfermeil  about  the  eighth  or 
tenth  of  the  month  of  May,  1787.  As  it  was  not  the 
etiquette  of  the  time  for  the  futur  to  sleep  under  the 
same  roof  with  the  young  lady  whom  he  was  to 
marry.  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet  came  every  day  from 
Paris  for  dinner  and  remained  until  after  supper. 

In  the  vast  wardrobes  had  been  brought  together 
the  fine  trousseau  which  my  grandmother  had  given 
me,  the  price  of  which  exceeded  45,000  francs.  It 
was  composed  of  linens,  laces,  and  muslin  dresses. 
There  was  not  a  single  silk  dress.  The  corbeille,  which 
had  been  given  me  by  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet,  com.- 
prised  jewels,  ribbons,  flowers,  feathers  and  so  on. 

The  present  of  Mme.  d'Henin  was  a  charming  tea 
service  of  silver  gilt,  complete  in  every  respect,  with 
Sevres  porcelain.  I  think  that  this  gave  me  more 
pleasure  than  anything  else.  My  grandfather.  Vis- 
count Dillon,  sent  me  a  pair  of  ear-rings  which  cost 
10,000  francs.  I  had  also  received  from  Monsieur  de 
Gouvernet  a  fine  collection  of  English  and  Italian 
books;  also  of  English  engravings,  for  which  I  was 
very  grateful. 

[42] 


CHAPTER   SIX 

1787 

MARRIAGE  AND   PRESENTATION  AT  COURT 

A  Marriage  in  High  Society  at  the  End  of  the  1 8th  Century. — ■ 
The  Nuptial  Benediction. —  The  Marriage  Souvenirs. — 
Toilette  of  the  Bride. —  Presentation  to  the  Queen. — 
Rehearsal  with  the  Maltre  a  Danser. —  The  Presentation 
Toilette. —  The  Sunday  Court. —  Portrait  of  the  King. — 
The  Art  of  Walking  at  Versailles. —  The  Mass.  —  The 
Royal  Dinner. 

I  WOULD  like  to  have  the  power  of  depicting  the 
manners  of  the  times  of  my  youth,  of  which 
many  details  have  escaped  my  memory,  and  the 
occasion  of  this  marriage  in  high  society,  at  which 
figured  so  many  personages,  men  and  women. 

The  day  of  my  marriage  everybody  was  present 
In  the  salon  at  noon.  The  company  was  composed, 
on  my  side,  of  my  grandmother,  Mme.  de  Rothe, 
my  great-uncle,  the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne,  my 
aunt,  Lady  Jerningham,  her  husband,  Sir  William 
Jerningham,  their  daughter  and  eldest  son,  who  was 
afterwards  Lord  Stafford;  also  of  the  Messieurs 
Sheldon,  and  their  elder  brother  Monsieur  Constable, 
my  first  witness,  and  the  Chevalier  Jerningham, 
brother  of  Sir  William  Jerningham,  who  was  a  friend 
of  my  mother  and  of  myself,  my  second  witness. 
This  was  all  of  my  family.  The  guests  included  all 
the  Ministers,  the  Archbishops  of  Paris  and  Toulouse, 

[43] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Monsieur  de  Lally-Tollendal,  of  whom  I  shall  speak 
later,  and  several  other  persons  whose  names  escape 
me. 

The  Comte  de  Gouvernet  was  born  in  Paris,  Rue 
de  Varenne,  at  the  hotel  of  his  parents,  the  6  January 
1759.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  entered  the 
military  service  as  a  Second  Lieutenant  of  Artillery, 
and  two  years  later  was  promoted  to  be  Captain  of 
Cavalry.  In  1779  he  was  appointed  aide  de  camp  of 
the  Marquis  de  Bouille,  Governor  of  the  Antilles, 
and  served  under  his  orders  during  the  last  three 
years  of  the  war  in  America.  During  his  absence  he 
was  promoted  to  be  Colonel  en  Second  of  the  Royal- 
Comtois-Infanterie,  and  was  still  serving  with  this 
regiment  at  the  time  of  our  marriage,  21  May  1787. 

The  family  of  Monsieur  de  Gouvernet  was  com- 
posed of  his  father  and  mother;  of  his  uncle,  I'Abbe 
de  Gouvernet;  of  his  sister,  the  Marquise  de  Lameth; 
of  her  husband  and  his  three  brothers,  Charles, 
Alexandre  and  Theodore  de  Lameth;  also  of  Mme. 
d'Henin,  his  aunt,  and  of  a  number  of  other  persons  — 
fifty  or  sixty  in  all. 

In  going  to  the  chapel,  we  passed  through  the 
court.  I  walked  first,  giving  my  hand  to  my  cousin, 
young  Jerningham.  My  grandmother  followed  with 
Monsieur  de  Gouvernet,  and  the  rest  in  order.  At 
the  altar  we  found  my  uncle  and  the  Archbishop  of 
Paris.  After  a  low  mass  which  was  said  by  the  Cure 
of  Montfermeil,  my  uncle  gave  us  the  nuptial  bene- 
diction after  having  pronounced  a  very  fine  discourse. 

All  the  ladies  then  embraced  me  In  the  order  of 
relationship  and  age.  After  this  a  valet  de  chambre 

C44] 


MARRIAGE,   PRESENTATION  AT  COURT 

brought  a  large  basket  containing  the  wedding 
souvenirs,  consisting  of  sword-knots  for  the  men, 
costing  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  francs  each,  and 
of  fans  for  the  ladies,  of  different  prices  from  twenty- 
five  to  one  hundred  francs.  This  custom  was  very 
expensive. 

Let  us  not  forget  the  toilette  of  the  bride,  which 
was  very  simple.  I  had  a  dress  of  white  crepe,  trimmed 
with  Brussels  lace.  As  veils  were  not  then  in  vogue, 
I  wore  pinners,  that  is  to  say,  a  head-dress  having 
long  flaps  hanging  down  the  sides  of  my  cheeks.  I 
had  a  sprig  of  orange  blossoms  on  my  head  and  a 
bouquet  at  my  side.  For  the  dinner,  which  was  not 
served  until  four  o'clock,  I  put  on  a  pretty  toque, 
with  white  plumes,  to  which  was  attached  the  sprig 
of  orange  blossoms.  In  the  evening  a  fine  concert 
ended  the  day. 

The  following  day  the  greater  part  of  the  guests 
left  us.  I  was  married  on  Monday,  and  the  next  day 
Mme.  d'Henin  informed  me  of  the  desire  of  the 
Queen  that  my  presentation  should  take  place  the 
Sunday  following.  Mme.  d'Henin  added  that  I  ought 
to  accompany  her  to  Paris  on  Thursday  morning  to 
take  two  lessons  In  courtesies  {reverences)  of  my  danc- 
ing master;  also  to  try  on  my  presentation  costume. 

I  therefore  set  out  the  following  morning  for  Paris 
In  company  w  ith  my  aunt,  Mme.  d'Henin,  and  passed 
the  two  following  mornings  with  Monsieur  Huart, 
my  dancing  master.  You  cannot  imagine  anything 
more  ridiculous  than  this  rehearsal  of  the  presenta- 
tion. Monsieur  Huart,  a  fat   man,  admirably  coiffe 

[45] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

and  powdered,  wearing  a  full  skirt,  represented  the 
Queen  and  stood  at  the  end  of  the  salon.  He  dictated 
to  me  what  I  should  do,  at  one  moment  personifying 
the  lady  who  presented  me,  the  next,  returning  to 
the  place  of  the  Queen  in  order  to  indicate  the 
moment  when,  taking  off  my  glove  and  bending  to 
kiss  the  bottom  of  her  robe,  she  would  make  the 
gesture  of  preventing  me  from  so  doing.  Nothing 
was  forgotten  or  neglected  in  this  rehearsal,  which 
was  prolonged  over  a  period  of  three  or  four  hours. 
My  hair  was  dressed  simply,  and  I  wore  an  ordinary 
morning  costume,  over  which  I  had  put  on  a  court 
dress  with  a  large  pannier.  It  was  a  regular  comedy. 

Sunday  morning  after  the  mass  my  presentation 
took  place.  I  was  in  full  court  dress  {grand  corps), 
that  is  to  say,  with  a  corsage  expressly  made,  with- 
out shoulder  straps,  laced  in  the  back,  but  so  narrow 
that  the  lacings,  four  fingers  wide  at  the  bottom, 
revealed  a  chemise  of  the  finest  batiste.  This  chemise 
had  very  short  sleeves  and  no  straps,  so  as  to  leave 
the  shoulders  bare.  The  top  of  the  arm  was  covered 
with  three  or  four  rows  of  white  lace  falling  to  the 
elbow.  The  neck  and  shoulders  were  entirely  un- 
covered. Seven  or  eight  strands  of  large  diamonds, 
which  the  Queen  had  wished  to  lend  me,  partially 
concealed  my  own.  The  front  of  the  corsage  had  the 
appearance  of  being  laced  with  rows  of  diamonds. 
I  also  had  a  number  on  my  head  in  the  form  of  an 
aigrette. 

Thanks  to  the  good  lessons  of  Monsieur  Huart,  I 
had  no  trouble  with  the  three  courtesies,  and  took 
off  and  put  on  my  glove  without  too  much  awkward- 

C46] 


MARRIAGE     PRESENTATION    AT   COURT 

ness.  After  this  I  received  the  accohide  of  the  King; 
of  the  Princes,  his  brothers,  the  Comte  de  Provence, 
afterwards  Louis  XVlll,  and  the  Comte  d'Artois, 
afterwards  Charles  X;  of  the  Princes  of  Conde,  Bour- 
bon and  d'Enghien.  By  a  piece  of  good  luck,  for 
which  I  have  often  thanked  Heaven,  the  Due 
d'Orlcans  was  not  at  Versailles  the  day  of  my  presen- 
tation, and  I  therefore  avoided  being  kissed  by  this 
monster. 

The  following  Sunday  I  returned  to  Versailles,  and 
from  that  time  on  went  there  nearly  every  week  with 
my  aunt.  Although  the  Queen  had  decided  that  I 
should  be  appointed  Dame  du  Palais,  only  at  the 
end  of  two  years,  I  was  already  considered  as  one,  and 
exercised  the  functions  of  the  position  every  Sunday. 

It  will  be  interesting  perhaps  to  describe  the  cere- 
monial of  the  Sunday  Court  in  which  shone  at  the 
time  the  unfortunate  Queen,  as  etiquette  has  changed 
and  these  details  have  entered  into  the  domain  of 
history. 

The  suite  of  rooms  occupied  by  the  Queen,  known 
as  the  Grands  Appartements  de  la  Reine,  immediately 
adjoined  the  Salon  de  la  Paix,  which  was  situated  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  the  main  front  of  the  Palace 
looking  out  on  the  gardens.  This  suite  consisted  of 
three  rooms  —  the  Queen's  bed-chamber,  the  salon 
and  the  antechamber,  which  was  also  known  as  the 
Salo7i  du  Grand  Convert.  Just  beyond  was  the 
Queen's  Guard  Room,  which  was  invaded  by  the 
populace  the  night  of  6  October  1789.  Adjoining 
this  suite    were    the    Cabinets  de  Marie-A7itoinette, 

C47]  -  ' 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

frequently  called  the  Petits  Appartements  de  la  Reine, 
consisting  of  a  boudoir,  library  and  salon.  All  of 
these  rooms  were  extremely  small  but  remarkable 
for  the  charm  of  their  decoration.  They  were  lighted 
by  small  interior  courts,  on  the  other  side  of  which 
were  the  King's  Guard  Room  and  his  first  ante- 
chamber. 

At  a  few  minutes  before  noon  the  ladles  entered 
the  salon  which  preceded  the  Queen's  bed-chamber. 
No  one  sat  down  except  a  few  aged  ladies.  There 
were  always  at  least  forty  present  and  sometimes 
more.  Ordinarily,  the  Princesse  de  Lamballe,  the 
superintendent  of  the  house,  arrived  and  entered 
immediately  into  the  Queen's  room,  where  she  was 
making  her  toilette.  The  Princesse  de  Chimay,  the 
sister-in-law  of  my  aunt  d'Henin,  and  the  Comtesse 
d'Ossun,  one  a  lady  of  honor  and  the  other  lady  of 
the  bed  chamber,  also  had  the  entrees.  At  the  end 
of  several  minutes  an  usher  advanced  to  the  door  of 
the  chamber  and  called  in  a  loud  voice:  "Le  service!" 
Then  the  Dames  du  Palais  for  the  week,  four  in 
number,  and  other  young  ladies  like  myself  desig- 
nated later  on  to  form  part  of  the  service  also  en- 
tered. As  soon  as  the  Queen  had  said  good-morning 
to  all  in  turn,  with  much  grace  and  kindness,  the 
door  was  opened  and  everybody  entered. 

This  audience  was  prolonged  until  twenty  minutes 
before  one.  Then  the  door  was  opened  and  the  usher 
announced,  "The  King."  The  Queen,  always  dressed 
In  court  costume,  advanced  towards  him  with  a 
charming  and  respectful  air.  The  King  nodded  to 
right  and  left,  spoke  to  some  ladles  whom  he  knew, 

C48] 


lA  3l£XRf3S  MA2ECfie  AK^'OrMXriTCE 


MARRIAGE,   PRESENTATION  AT  COURT 

but  never  to  the  young  ones.  He  was  so  shortsighted 
that  he  could  not  recognize  any  one  at  three  paces. 
He  was  a  fat  man  of  medium  height,  with  high 
shoulders  and  the  worst  form  that  you  could  imagine. 
He  had  the  air  of  a  peasant,  and  there  was  nothing 
lofty  or  royal  in  his  mien.  He  was  always  embarrassed 
by  his  sword  and  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  his 
hat.  His  costume,  which  was  very  magnificent,  was 
highly  embroidered,  and  ornamented  with  the  star 
of  the  Saint-Esprit  in  diamonds.  He  never  wore  the 
cordon  over  his  costume,  except  his  fete  day  and  the 
days  of  gala  and  great  ceremony. 

A  quarter  before  one  was  the  time  set  to  go  to 
the  mass.  The  King  and  Queen  walked  side  by  side, 
slowly  enough  to  say  a  word  in  passing  to  the  numer- 
ous courtiers  who  lined  the  Gallery.  The  Queen  often 
spoke  to  strangers  who  had  been  presented  to  her, 
to  artists  and  to  men  of  letters.  Behind  came  the 
ladies  in  the  order  of  their  rank. 

It  was  a  great  art  to  know  how  to  walk  in  these 
vast  appartements  without  stepping  on  the  long 
train  of  the  lady  who  preceded  you.  You  could  not 
raise  your  foot  at  all,  but  had  to  glide  it  along  the 
floor,  which  was  always  very  slippery,  until  you  had 
passed  through  the  Salon  d'Hercule.  After  this  you 
threw  the  bottom  of  your  robe  over  one  side  of  your 
pannier,  and  having  caught  the  eye  of  your  lackey 
who  awaited  you  with  a  large  hassock  of  red  velvet 
trimmed  with  a  golden  fringe,  you  rushed  down  one  of 
the  aisles  at  the  right  or  left  of  the  chapel  in  the  en- 
deavor to  obtain  a  place  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
tribune  occupied  by  the  Royal  family.  Your  lackey 

[49] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

put  the  hassock  before  you  and  you  took  your 
prayer  book,  in  which  you  hardly  ever  read,  for,  by 
the  time  you  were  in  your  place  and  had  arranged 
the  train  of  your  dress  and  had  knelt  upon  this 
immense  hassock,  the  mass  was  already  half  finished. 

As  soon  as  the  service  was  over,  the  Queen  made 
a  profound  reverence  to  the  King,  and  then  the 
march  back  began  in  the  same  order  in  which  we  had 
come.  Every  one  returned  to  the  Queen's  chamber 
and  chatted  while  awaiting  the  dinner  hour.  At  this 
time,  during  a  period  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  the 
King  and  Queen  received  the  ladies  who  had  come 
from  Paris.  We  impertinent  young  things  used  to 
call  these  ladies  the  traineuses,  because  they  had  the 
skirts  of  their  court  costumes  so  long  that  you 
could  not  see  their  ankles. 

Dinner  was  served  in  the  first  salon,  where  a  small 
rectangular  table  was  set  with  two  covers,  and  two 
large  green  armchairs  were  placed  one  beside  the 
other,  touching,  with  backs  so  high  as  entirely  to 
conceal  the  persons  occupying  them.  The  Queen  sat 
at  the  left  of  the  King.  They  turned  their  backs  to 
the  chimney,  and  before  them,  at  a  distance  of  ten 
feet,  was  arranged  in  a  circle  a  line  of  stools  upon 
which  were  seated  the  Duchesses,  Princesses  and 
ladies  of  high  rank  who  had  the  privilege  of  the 
tabouret.  Behind  them  stood  the  other  ladies,  facing 
the  King  and  Queen.  The  King  ate  with  good  appe- 
tite, but  the  Queen  did  not  take  off  her  gloves  or 
unfold  her  serviette,  which  was  a  great  mistake  on 
her  part.  As  soon  as  the  King  had  drunk,  we  had  the 
privilege  of  leaving,  after  having  made  a  courtesy. 

C50] 


MARRIAGE,   PRESENTATION  AT  COURT 

We  regained  our  appartements  very  much  fatigued, 
and  remained  quietly  in  our  rooms,  so  as  not  to  dis- 
arrange our  coiffures,  especially  when  we  had  had 
our  hair  dressed  by  Leonard,  the  most  famous  of 
coiffeurs.  The  private  dinners  were  served  at  three 
o'clock  which,  at  this  time,  was  the  elegant  hour. 

The  Minister  of  War,  Marechal  de  Segur,  who  had 
been  present  at  my  marriage,  had  given  my  husband 
a  month's  leave  of  absence,  so  instead  of  leaving  for 
Saint-Omer,  where  his  regiment  was  in  garrison,  he 
remained  with  me  at  Montfermeil.  At  the  end  of  the 
month  of  June  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  return  to 
his  post  and  I  saw  him  leave  with  real  chagrin. 
About  the  middle  of  August  he  came  to  pass  a  week 
at  Montfermeil.  The  Marechal  had  consented  to  this 
escapade  on  condition  that  he  should  not  go  to  Paris. 
The  Colonels  in  garrison  in  Flanders  were  then 
threatened  with  the  necessity  of  passing  the  autumn 
and  winter  months  with  their  regiments,  on  account 
of  the  troubles  in  Holland,  in  which  it  seemed  that 
we  should  be  obliged  to  interfere.  But  the  indecision 
of  the  King  and  the  feebleness  of  the  Government 
did  not  permit  us  to  take  part,  which  was  a  great 
mistake,  as  it  might  have  turned  public  opinion 
from  the  revolutionary  ideas  which  were  beginning 
to  germinate  in  the  heads  of  the  French  people. 


[51] 


CHAPTER  SEVEN 

1787-1788 
FIRST  SEASON  IN  SOCIETY 

Civil  War  in  Holland. —  Feebleness  of  the  French  Government. 
—  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  Henencourt. —  Excursion 
to  Lille. —  Return  to  Montfermeil. —  The  Loges  of  the 
Queen  at  the  Theatres. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  in 
Society. —  Mme.  de  Montesson  and  the  Due  d'Orleans. — 
Rupture  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  with  Her  Family. 

MY  sister-in-law,  Mme.  de  Lameth,  for  whom 
I  had  conceived  the  most  tender  friend- 
ship, had  been  kept  at  Paris  by  the  illness 
of  her  younger  son  until  the  month  of  October,  1787. 
As  the  Colonels  were  still  with  their  regiments  and 
not  able  to  return,  my  sister-in-law  proposed  to  me 
the  first  of  October  that  I  should  accompany  her  to 
the  country.  My  husband  could  then  rejoin  us,  as 
his  regiment  was  in  garrison  at  Saint-Omer,  a  short 
distance  from  Henencourt,  between  Amiens  and 
Arras.  The  difficulty  was  to  arrange  this  trip  with 
my  grandmother,  who,  in  the  absence  of  my  husband, 
had  again  assumed  her  authority  over  me.  Neither  I 
nor  my  sister-in-law  had  the  courage  to  make  the 
proposition  to  her.  We  therefore  devised  the  scheme 
of  having  the  request  made  by  my  husband  himself. 
On  the  appointed  day  the  letter  arrived,  and  my 
grandmother,  without  preamble,  brusquely  demanded, 

C52] 


FIRST  SEASON  IN  SOCIETY 

''When  are  you  going  to  leave?"  To  which  I  rephed 
trembh'ng  tiiat  my  sister-in-law  awaited  me.  Ac- 
cordingly, we  set  out  together.  Our  maids  were  in  my 
carriage,  Mme.  de  Lameth,  her  two  children  and 
myself,  in  her  carriage. 

I  have  preserved  the  most  charming  recollections 
of  this  trip.  We  went  to  Lille  to  see  the  Marquis  de 
Lameth,  my  brother-in-law,  who  was  there  with  his 
regiment.  I  had  never  had  so  much  pleasure  as  during 
this  short  journey.  With  my  husband  I  visited  all 
the  establishments,  military  and  civil. 

When  it  was  finally  decided  that  France  should 
abandon  the  Holland  patriots  to  their  unfortunate 
fate,  permission  was  given  the  Colonels  to  return  to 
Paris.  My  husband  and  I  therefore  set  out  for 
Montfermeil,  while  my  sister-in-law  remained  in 
the  country  until  the  beginning  of  winter. 

Soon  after  my  return  my  uncle  and  grandmother 
left  for  Montpellier.  It  had  been  arranged  that  dur- 
ing the  absence  of  my  relatives  we  should  live  with 
our  aunt,  Mme.  d'Henin.  As  she  was  to  introduce 
me  to  society,  this  arrangement  was  agreeable  and 
convenient.  It  was  not  then  customary  for  a  young 
lady  to  appear  alone  in  public  the  first  year  of  her 
marriage.  When  she  went  out  in  the  morning  to  pay 
visits  or  shop,  she  always  took  a  maid  with  her  in 
her  carriage.  Certain  old  dames  carried  this  rigorism 
so  far  as  to  blame  those  who  went  out  even  with 
their  husbands  for  a  promenade  in  the  Champs- 
Elysees  or  the  Tuileries  gardens,  and  thought  in  such 
cases  they  should  be  followed  by  a  lackey  in  livery. 

[53] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

My  husband  considered  this  custom  insupportable, 
and  we  never  submitted  to  this  etiquette. 

Once  estabUshed  with  my  aunt,  we  found  our- 
selves much  happier  and  more  tranquil  than  with 
my  grandmother.  Nearly  every  evening  we  went  to 
the  theatre,  where  the  performances  then  ended  early 
enough  to  permit  our  going  to  supper  afterwards. 
My  aunt  and  I  had  permission  to  occupy  the  Queen's 
boxes.  This  was  a  favor  which  was  accorded  to  only 
six  or  eight  of  the  youngest  ladies  of  the  Palace.  She 
had  a  loge  at  the  Opera,  at  the  Comedie-Fran^aise 
and  at  the  theatre  then  called  the  Comedie-Italienne 
where  opera-comique  was  given  in  French.  We  had 
only  to  read  the  daily  papers  to  make  our  choice 
between  the  different  theatres. 

These  stage  boxes  were  furnished  like  elegant 
salons.  Every  box  had  a  large  antechamber,  well 
heated  and  lighted;  and  a  private  staircase  com- 
municated with  the  antechamber  where  the  servants 
remained.  At  the  entrance  was  a  porter  in  the  King's 
livery.  You  never  had  to  wait  a  moment  for  your 
carriage.  Generally  we  went  to  the  Comedie-Italienne 
for  the  first  piece,  which  was  always  the  best,  and  to 
the  Opera  for  the  ballet. 

Since  I  am  now  established  with  my  aunt,  this  is 
the  moment  to  speak  of  the  society  in  which  she 
moved,  which  was  the  most  elegant  and  the  most 
highly  considered  in  Paris,  and  by  which  I  was  adopted 
the  first  year  that  I  was  out.  This  clique  was  com- 
posed of  four  very  distinguished  ladies,  joined  to- 
gether from  their  youth  by  a  friendship  which  in 
their  eyes  represented  a  sort  of  religion,  and  which 

[54] 


FIRST  SEASON   IN   SOCIETY 

was  perhaps  the  only  one  that  they  possessed!  These 
four  ladies,  very  highly  esteemed  on  account  of  their 
rank  in  the  world,  were,  besides  Mme.  d'Henin,  the 
Princesse  de  Poix,  the  Duchesse  de  Biron  and  the 
Princesse  de  Bouillon. 

At  the  time  of  my  marriage,  my  aunt,  Mme. 
d'Henin,  was  thirty-eight  years  of  age.  She  had 
espoused,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  the  Prince  d'Henin, 
younger  brother  of  the  Prince  de  Chimay,  who  was 
only  seventeen.  They  were  admired  as  the  hand- 
somest couple  who  had  ever  appeared  at  court.  The 
second  year  of  her  marriage  Mme.  d'Henin  had  an 
attack  of  smallpox,  and  this  malady,  which  they 
did  not  then  know  how  to  treat  properly,  left  upon 
her  face  an  eruption  which  was  never  cured.  How- 
ever, she  was  still  very  beautiful  when  I  knew  her, 
with  fine  hair,  charming  eyes,  teeth  like  pearls,  a 
superb  figure  and  a  very  noble  air.  Until  the  death 
of  her  mother  she  resided  with  her.  Monsieur 
d'Henin  had  an  apartment  in  the  house  of  Mme.  de 
Monconseil,  but  although  he  was  not  judicially 
separated  from  his  wife,  he  nevertheless  resided  apart 
with  an  actress  of  the  Comedie-Fran^aise,  who  was 
ruining  him.  The  Court  justified  by  its  indiff"erence 
these  kinds  of  liaisons.  It  was  laughed  at  as  the 
most  simple  thing  in  the  world. 

At  that  time  the  ladies  of  high  society  were  marked 
by  the  audacity  with  which  they  made  a  parade  of 
their  love  afi^airs.  These  intrigues  were  known  almost 
as  soon  as  formed,  and  when  they  were  durable,  they 
acquired  a  sort  of  consideration.  In  the  society  of 
les  princesses  combinees,  as  they  were  called,  there 

CS5] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

were  exceptions  however  to  these  blamable  customs. 
Mme.  de  Poix,  who  was  deformed,  lame,  and  crippled 
a  great  part  of  the  year,  had  never  been  accused  of 
any  intrigues.  When  I  first  knew  her,  she  still  had  a 
charming  face,  although  forty  years  of  age.  She  was 
the  most  amiable  person  in  the  world. 

Mme.  de  Lauzun,  who  was  later  Duchesse  de 
Biron,  after  the  death  of  my  respectful  admirer,  the 
Marechal  of  that  name,  was  an  angel  of  kindness  and 
goodness.  After  the  death  of  the  Marechale  de 
Luxembourg,  her  grandmother,  with  whom  she  had 
lived,  and  who  kept  the  finest  house  in  Paris,  she 
had  bought  a  hotel.  Rue  de  Bourbon,  looking  out 
on  the  river.  This  she  had  arranged  with  simple 
elegance,  in  harmony  with  her  handsome  fortune 
and  the  modesty  of  her  character.  She  lived  here 
alone,  for  her  husband,  following  the  example  of 
Monsieur  d'Henin,  passed  his  time  with  an  actress 
of  the  Comedie-Fran^aise.  Since  the  death  of  his 
mother,  whose  happy  influence  had  kept  him  in 
good  company,  he  had  mixed  with  the  habitues  of 
the  Due  d'Orleans  {Egalite),  who  corrupted  all  who 
approached  him. 

The  Duchesse  de  Lauzun  had  a  very  curious  library, 
with  many  manuscripts  of  Rousseau,  among  others 
that  of  "La  Nouvelle  Heloise,"  entirely  written  in 
his  own  hand;  also  a  quantity  of  letters  and  notes 
which  he  had  written  to  Mme.  de  Luxembourg. 

The  Princesse  de  Bouillon  had  married,  when  very 
young,  the  last  Due  de  Bouillon,  who  was  an  imbecile 
and  a  cripple.  She  lived  with  him  in  the  Hotel  de 
Bouillon  upon  the  Quai  Malaquais.  He  was  never 

[56] 


FIRST  SEASON  IN  SOCIETY 

seen,  because  he  remained  always  in  his  apartment 
with  the  persons  who  looked  after  him.  During  the 
summer  he  went  to  his  place  at  Navarre,  the  fine 
estate  which  later  belonged  to  the  Empress  Josephine. 
But  1  think  that  Mme.  de  Bouillon  never  went  there. 

She  was  a  person  of  great  spirit  and  charm  and, 
I  think,  was  the  most  distinguished  of  my  acquaint- 
ances. At  no  time  could  she  have  been  pretty.  She 
was  exceedingly  thin,  almost  a  skeleton,  with  a  flat 
German  face,  retrousse  nose,  wretched  teeth  and  yel- 
low hair.  With  all  this,  she  had  so  much  esprit,  such 
original  ideas,  and  her  conversation  was  so  amusing 
that  she  attracted  and  enchanted  everybody.  Her  kind- 
ness to  me  was  very  great  and  I  was  quite  proud  of  it. 

Nevertheless  this  homely  and  spirituelle  Princesse 
had  had  one  or  several  lovers.  She  was  bringing  up  a 
little  girl  who,  in  a  striking  manner,  resembled  her 
as  well  as  the  Prince  Emmanuel  de  Salm-Salm.  He 
passed  for  being  the  lover  whom  she  had  adopted 
for  life,  but  certainly  at  that  time  he  was  only  a 
Iriend.  A  very  tall  man,  as  thin  as  his  mistress,  he 
always  appeared  to  me  to  be  insipid,  although  he 
was  said  to  be  learned.  I  would  like  to  believe  that, 
but  he  hid  his  treasures,  and  I  cannot  recall  anything 
of  his  conversation. 

The  Chevalier  de  Coigny,  brother  of  the  Due,  who 
was  first  equerry  of  the  King,  was  supposed,  before 
the  time  of  my  marriage,  to  be  the  lover  of  my  aunt. 
At  least  he  had  that  reputation.  Later  on  he  formed 
a  strong  attachment  for  Mme.  de  Monsauge,  wife  of 
the  fermier  general  and  mother  of  the  charming 
Comtesse  Etienne  de  Durfort,  whom  he  afterwards 

[57] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

married.  I  was  very  fond  of  this  fat  chevalier  who 
was  of  so  gay  and  amiable  a  nature.  As  he  was  fifty 
years  of  age,  I  talked  with  him  as  often  as  possible. 
He  recounted  to  me  a  thousand  anecdotes  which  I  re- 
membered and  which  perhaps  would  be  amusing  if  I 
were  to  relate  them.  Destined  to  \iv  tin  the  gra7id  monde 
and  at  the  Court,  I  listened  with  interest  to  his  reci- 
tals, for  a  knowledge  of  past  times  was  useful  to  me. 

A  mansion  which  we  all  visited,  and  where  I  was 
received  with  the  most  affectionate  familiarity,  was 
that  of  Mme.  de  Montesson.  She  loved  my  husband 
like  a  son.  After  the  death  of  his  grandmother,  Mme. 
de  Monconseil,  he  had  lived  there  until  the  day  of 
his  marriage.  She  received  me  with  extreme  kindness. 
I  was  also  bound  by  ties  of  friendship  to  Mme.  de 
Valence,  the  daughter  of  her  niece,  Mme.  de  Genlis. 
Mme.  de  Valence  was  three  years  older  than  myself 
and  was  then  considered  a  model  young  woman. 

It  is  well  known  that  Mme.  de  Montesson  was  the 
legitimate  wife  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  the  father  of 
Philippe-Egalite,  to  whom  she  had  been  married  by 
the  Archbishop  of  Toulouse.  The  King  was  unwilling 
to  recognize  this  marriage,  and  she  ceased  to  visit 
the  Court.  The  Due  d'Orleans  gave  up  his  residence 
in  the  Palais-Royal  to  establish  himself  in  a  house, 
Rue  de  Provence,  adjoining  that  which  Mme.  de 
Montesson  had  bought  in  the  Chaussee-d'Antin. 
The  separating  walls  were  torn  down  and  the  two 
gardens  were  united.  The  Due  always  kept  his 
separate  entrance,  Rue  de  Provence,  with  a  Swiss  in 
his  livery,  while  Mme.  de  Montesson  also  had  her 
private  entrance.  But  the  courts  remained  connected. 

C58] 


FIRST  SEASON  IN  SOCIETY 

The  house  of  Mme.  de  Montesson  bore  a  very  good 
reputation.  She  saw  the  best  company  in  Paris  and 
the  most  distinguished,  from  the  oldest  sets  to  the 
youngest.  She  no  longer  gave  large  parties,  as  during 
the  life  of  the  Due  d'Orleans,  which  I  much  regretted. 
She  immediately  adopted  me  for  a  daughter,  and 
from  her  great  experience  in  the  world,  her  conversa- 
tion and  her  counsels  were  very  useful  to  me.  Hardly 
a  day  passed  without  my  visiting  Mme.  de  Valence, 
and  often  when  the  hour  was  advanced,  Mme.  de 
Montesson  kept  me  for  dinner. 

On  her  return  to  Paris  my  grandmother  came  to 
see  me.  She  soon  learned  from  my  conversation  of  my 
success  in  the  world  and  the  fine  reception  which  I 
had  received  from  a  large  number  of  persons  whom 
she  disliked.  From  this  moment  I  think  she  resolved 
to  seize  the  first  occasion  which  presented  itself  to 
oblige  us  to  leave  my  uncle's  house.  Nevertheless, 
for  the  moment  I  returned  to  the  Hotel  Dillon,  where 
they  had  arranged  for  me  a  charming  appartevient  in 
the  mansardeSy  which  was  reached  unfortunately  by 
a  small  turning  staircase. 

I  do  not  remember  the  circumstances  which  finally 
led  to  the  rupture  with  my  relatives.  After  several 
months  of  repeated  quarrels  my  grandmother  re- 
quested us  to  leave  her  house.  In  spite  of  my  tears 
and  the  intervention  of  my  uncle,  the  Archbishop, 
whose  afi^ection  we  had  gained,  but  who  feared  my 
grandmother  too  much  to  ofi^er  any  opposition,  we 
were  obliged  to  leave  the  Hotel  Dillon  never  to 
return.  This  was  about  the  month  of  June,  1788. 

My  aunt  received  us  at  her  house  with  great  kind- 

C  59  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

ness.  It  was  nevertheless  a  great  chagrin  for  me  to  be 
separated  from  my  family.  This  epoch  was  one  of 
the  most  painful  of  my  life.  It  was  the  first  real  grief 
that  I  had  ever  known,  and  the  remembrance  is 
still  painful,  although  I  cannot  in  any  way  reproach 
myself  for  having  provoked  it. 


[60] 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 

1788-1789 

EVE  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Sojourn  with  Mme.  d'Henin. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin, 
Colonel  de  Royal-Vaisseaux. —  Indiscipline  of  the  Officers 
of  the  Regiment. —  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia. —  His  Taste 
for  French  Literature. —  The  Hotel  de  Rochechouart. — 
Comte  de  Chinon,  aftenvards  Due  de  Richelieu. —  A  Ball 
at  Lord  Dorset's. —  Approach  of  the  Revolution. —  Popu- 
larity of  the  Due  d'Orleans. —  Causes  of  the  Antipathy  of 
the  Queen  for  the  Due. —  Popularity  of  English  Fashions. — 
The  Origin  of  Monsieur  de  Lally-Tollendal. 

MY  aunt,  Mme.  d'Henin,  received  us  at  her 
house  in  the  Rue  Verneuil,  and  gave  me 
quarters  on  the  ground  floor  looking  out 
on  a  very  dismal  little  garden.  As  we  did  not  wish 
to  be  an  expense  to  her,  our  cook  prepared  our 
servants*  meals,  and  also  our  own  when  my  aunt 
dined  out  or  had  company  for  dinner.  My  maid. 
Marguerite,  who  had  never  left  me,  refused  all  the 
offers  and  even  prayers  of  my  grandmother  In  order 
to  accompany  me. 

The  summer  of  1788  we  passed  at  Passy  In  a  house 
which  Mme.  d'Henin  had  leased,  together  with  Mmes. 
de  Poix,  de  Bouillon  and  de  Biron.  My  aunt  and  I 
lived  there  all  the  time,  while  these  ladies  came  there 
in  turn. 

[61  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  had  been  appointed 
Colonel  of  the  regiment  of  Royal-Vaisseaux.  This 
body  of  troops  was  in  a  state  of  great  indiscipline, 
not  by  the  conduct  of  the  soldiers  and  the  under- 
officers,  which  was  excellent,  but  by  the  attitude  of 
the  officers,  who  had  been  spoiled  by  their  former 
Colonel,  Monsieur  d'Ossun,  husband  of  the  Queen's 
Dame  d'Atours.  When  my  husband,  who  was  very 
severe  in  the  matter  of  discipline,  arrived  at  his 
regiment,  he  found  that  these  gentlemen  were  not 
attending  to  their  duties.  Having  ascertained  that 
during  the  daily  drills  the  regiment  was  commanded 
by  the  under-officers  and  the  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
Monsieur  de  Kergaradec,  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin  declared  that,  as  he  expected  to  be  present  at 
the  drills  every  morning  at  sunrise,  he  should  require 
that  the  officers  also  be  present.  This  order  raised  a 
perfect  storm  of  discontent,  and  punishments,  arrests, 
prison  —  no  measures  could  determine  the  officers 
to  fulfil  their  duties.  In  this  way  the  summer 
passed. 

In  the  autumn  a  camp  for  manoeuvres  was  to  be 
formed  at  Saint-Omer  under  the  command  of  the 
Prince  de  Conde.  The  first  manoeuvre,  which  should 
have  been  executed  in  a  mxodel  manner,  was  very  un- 
satisfactory, and  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  was 
furious.  He  reported  to  the  Prince  regarding  the  bad 
spirit  of  the  regiment,  or  rather  that  of  the  officers. 
The  Prince  declared  that  if,  at  the  next  manoeuvre, 
the  officers  did  not  do  better,  he  would  put  them  all 
under  arrest  for  the  duration  of  the  camp,  and  that 
the  companies  would  be  commanded  by  the  under- 

[62] 


EVE  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

officers.  This  order  had  the  desired  effect  and  there 
was  no  further  insubordination. 

While  these  events  were  happening  at  Saint-Omer, 
I  was  Hving  very  pleasantly  at  Passy  with  my  aunt 
and  with  one  or  two  of  her  friends.  I  often  visited 
Paris,  and  also  passed  some  time  at  Berny  with  Mme. 
de  Montesson,  who  was  always  full  of  kindness  for 
me.  Here  I  met  very  frequently  old  Prince  Henry  of 
Prussia,  brother  of  the  Great  Frederick.  He  was  a 
man  of  much  capacity,  both  military  and  literary,  and 
a  great  admirer  of  all  the  philosophers  whoni  his 
brother  had  attracted  to  his  court,  and  particularly 
of  Voltaire.  He  knew  our  literature  better  than  any 
Frenchman. 

As  I  am  not  writing  a  history  of  the  Revolution, 
I  shall  not  speak  of  all  the  conversations,  arguments 
and  disputes  that  the  difference  of  opinions  occasioned 
in  society.  For  my  eighteen  years  these  discourses 
were  very  boring,  and  I  endeavored  to  divert  myself 
by  visiting  as  often  as  possible  a  charming  house 
where  I  was  attached  by  ties  of  friendship  since  the 
period  of  my  youth,  and  especially  from  the  day  that 
I  had  been  obliged  to  leave  my  relatives.  The  Hotel 
de  Rochechouart  was  one  of  those  patriarchal  man- 
sions which  will  never  be  seen  again  and  where  sev- 
eral generations  mingled,  sans  gene,  sans  ennui,  sans 


exigence. 


Mme.  de  Courtellle,  a  very  rich  widow,  had 
married  her  only  daughter  to  the  Comte  de  Roche- 
chouart. She  lived  with  her  son-in-law  and  their  two 
daughters  in  a  large  and  beautiful  mansion  In  the 

[63] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Rue  de  Crenelle.  Mme.  de  Rochechouart  had  been 
an  intimate  friend  of  my  mother's,  and  I  had  passed 
my  childhood  with  her  two  daughters,  who  were  from 
two  to  four  years  older  than  myself.  The  elder  had 
married,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  the  Due  de  Piennes, 
since  Due  d'Aumont.  She  was  an  amiable  girl  with 
an  agreeable  face,  without  being  precisely  pretty. 
Her  husband,  according  to  the  usage  in  high  society 
at  that  time,  was  the  avowed  and  declared  lover 
of  Mme.  de  Reuilly,  which  made  his  wife  very 
unhappy. 

I  was  more  intimate,  however,  with  Rosalie,  the 
younger  sister.  She  had  been  married  at  the  age  of 
twelve  years  and  one  day  with  the  grandson  of  the 
Marechal  de  Richelieu,  the  Comte  de  Chinon,  who 
then  was  only  fifteen  years  of  age.  At  this  time  she 
was  still  a  nice  little  girl,  but  thin  and  very  delicate, 
while  he  was  a  disagreeable  boy  whom  in  our  chil- 
dren's parties  we  could  not  endure.  This  marriage 
was  celebrated  before  the  death  of  my  mother,  and 
I  was  present.  Immediately  after  the  dinner,  which 
was  given  at  the  Hotel  de  Richelieu,  the  bridegroom 
set  out  with  his  tutor  for  a  European  tour.  Leaving 
thus  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1782,  he  did  not 
return  to  France  until  about  seven  years  later.  He 
had  then  become  a  large  and  fine  young  man  and 
an  excellent  fellow. 

At  the  Hotel  de  Rochechouart  every  one  was  de- 
lighted at  his  return,  except  his  poor  wife  who  was 
far  from  participating  in  this  joy.  In  completing  her 
growth  she  had  become,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  a 
complete  hunchback,  and  she  was  afraid  that   her 

C64] 


1751     -  I8i0 


i 


I 


EVE  OK  THE   REVOLUTION 

husband  would  detest  her  on  account  of  this  de- 
formity. To  add  to  the  misfortunes  of  this  poor  man, 
he  found  upon  his  return  two  sisters,  born  of  a  second 
marriage  of  his  father,  who  were  deformed  in  the 
same  manner  as  his  wife.  These  three  hunchbacks 
gave  him  a  feeHng  of  horror  for  his  native  country. 

At  the  first  in(Hcations  of  the  coming  Revolution, 
he  emigrated  and  went  to  Russia,  where  he  gained 
much  glory  in  the  war  between  the  Russians  and  the 
Turks,  during  the  course  of  which  he  served  as  a 
volunteer  in  the  army  of  Catherine  II  with  MM.  de 
Damas  and  de  Langeron. 

Returning  to  France  under  the  Consulate,  he  left 
almost  immediately  for  Russia  whence  he  did  not 
return  until  after  the  Restoration. 

I  think  that  It  was  during  the  spring  of  the  year 
1789  that  the  Duke  of  Dorset,  the  English  Am- 
bassador, who  had  just  been  replaced  by  Lord  Gower 
and  his  charming  wife.  Lady  Sutherland,  gave  a  fine 
ball  on  the  eve  of  his  leaving  Paris.  At  the  bottom 
of  the  invitations  he  had  placed  very  cavalierly: 
"Les  dames  seront  en  blanc."  This  order  displeased 
me.  By  way  of  protest,  I  ordered  a  charming  robe 
of  blue  crepe,  trimmed  with  flowers  of  the  same 
color.  My  gloves  and  my  fan  were  also  adorned  with 
blue  ribbons.  In  my  coiflFure,  arranged  by  Leonard, 
were  blue  feathers.  This  piece  of  childish  folly  had  a 
great  success.  Everybody  kept  remarking:  "Oiseau 
bleu,  couleur  du  temps."  The  Duke  of  Dorset  him- 
self was  amused  at  this  pleasantry  and  said  that  the 
Irish  were  pig-headed! 

[65] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

In  the  midst  of  our  pleasures  we  approached  the 
month  of  May,  1789.  Now  that  a  long  life  permits  me 
to  pass  In  review  the  events  which  I  saw  unroll  be- 
fore me,  I  am  confounded  by  the  profound  blind- 
ness of  the  unfortunate  King  and  of  his  Ministers. 
Everyone  Insisted  upon  the  necessity  of  modelling  the 
new  Constitution  of  France  upon  that  of  England, 
which  few  persons  understood.  Monsieur  de  Lally, 
afterwards  the  Marquis  de  Lally-Tollendal,  in  spite 
of  his  pretensions  fully  to  understand  the  English 
Constitution,  was  himself  ignorant  of  its  details,  al- 
though he  passed  for  an  oracle.  The  force  of  his 
speech  filled  with  delight  the  ladies  who  listened  to 
him.  He  had  turned  the  head  of  my  aunt  who  had  no 
doubt  of  his  success  in  the  States-General. 

Monsieur  de  Lally  had  just  been  elected  Deputy 
to  the  Assembly  by  the  nobility  of  Paris.  I  was 
present  at  one  of  the  first  meetings  of  this  Assembly. 
With  twenty  or  thirty  ladies  I  was  concealed  behind 
the  curtains  of  the  tribunes  which  had  been  arranged 
In  the  windows  of  the  hall.  The  first  two  names  taken 
from  the  election  urn,  of  persons  nominated  for 
Secretaries  of  the  Assembly,  were  those  of  Monsieur 
de  Lally  and  Monsieur  d'Espremenil,  the  President 
of  the  Parliament  of  Paris.  Now  it  so  happened  that 
Monsieur  d'Espremenil  was  the  person  who  had 
made  the  report  upon  the  sad  affair  which  had  sent 
General  de  Lally  to  the  scaffold  In  1766.  Before  the 
different  courts  where  Monsieur  de  Lally,  his  son, 
had  pleaded  for  the  rehabilitation  of  the  memory  of 
his  father,  Monsieur  d'Espremenil  had  pleaded  on 
the  other  side  and  in  such  a  furious  manner  that  a 

[66] 


EVE  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

profound  hatred  had  arisen  between  the  two  men. 
Therefore  when  these  two  were  proclaimed  as  the 
Secretaries  of  the  Assembly,  and  they  left  their 
places  at  the  end  of  the  hall  to  seat  themselves  side 
by  side  at  the  desk,  there  was  heard  a  murmur  of 
very  marked  interest  in  favor  of  Monsieur  de  Lally. 
When,  a  few  moments  later,  he  addressed  a  few 
brief  words  to  the  Assembly  to  thank  them  for  his 
nomination,  and  stated  that  all  private  misunder- 
standing should  disappear  before  the  public  interest, 
every  one  present  enthusiastically  applauded  him. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  spring  of  1789,  which  fol- 
lowed a  terrible  \\  inter  that  had  been  very  hard  upon 
the  poor,  the  Due  d'Orleans  (Egalite)  was  very 
popular  in  Paris.  He  had  sold,  the  previous  year,  a 
large  part  of  the  pictures  of  the  splendid  gallery  of 
his  palace,  and  it  was  generally  stated  that  the  eight 
million  francs  received  from  this  sale  had  been  de- 
voted to  relieving  the  misery  of  the  people  during 
the  rigorous  winter  which  had  just  ended.  On  the 
other  hand,  nothing  was  said,  rightly  or  wrongly,  of 
the  charities  of  the  Princes  of  the  Royal  family  and 
of  the  King  and  Queen.  This  unfortunate  Princess 
had  become  entirely  devoted  to  the  Polignac  family. 
She  no  longer  went  to  the  theatre  in  Paris,  and  no 
one  ever  saw  her  or  her  children.  The  King  also  never 
appeared  in  public.  Shut  up  at  Versailles,  or  hunting 
in  the  surrounding  woods,  he  suspected  nothing,  fore- 
saw nothing,  believed  nothing. 

The  Queen  detested  the  Due  d'Orleans,  who  had 
spoken  harshly  of  her.  He  had  wished  to  marry  his 
son,  the  Due  de  Chartres,  afterwards   King  Louis- 

[67] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Philippe,  with  Madame  Royale,  the  daughter  of  the 
King.  But  the  Comte  d'Artois,  afterwards  Charles  X, 
also  desired  the  hand  of  this  Princess  for  his  son,  the 
Due  d'Angouleme,  a  match  which  the  Queen  pre- 
ferred. The  demand  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  there- 
fore refused,  and  he  was  mortally  offended.  His  visits 
to  Versailles  were  very  infrequent,  and  I  do  not  recall 
ever  having  met  him  in  the  Queen's  room  at  the  hour 
that  the  Princes  came  there  just  before  the  mass. 
As  he  never  was  in  his  appartement  at  Versailles,  I 
had  not  been  officially  presented  to  him.  This, 
however,  did  not  prevent  me  from  being  present  at 
the  suppers  which  he  gave  at  the  Palais-Royal, 
which  during  this  winter  were  very  brilliant. 

I  was  present  at  the  supper  he  gave  at  which 
was  employed  for  the  first  time  the  beautiful  silver 
service  which  he  had  ordered  of  Arthur,  the  great 
jeweller  of  the  epoch.  If  I  am  correct  in  my  recollec- 
tion, the  service  appeared  to  me  too  light  and  too 
English.  But  this  was  the  fashion.  It  was  necessary 
that  everything  should  be  English  —  from  our  Con- 
stitution to  our  horses  and  our  carriages.  I  was  often 
envied  because  in  public  places  I  had  the  good  fortune 
to  evoke  the  exclamation,  "Voila  une  Anglaise!" 

Since  I  have  spoken  of  Monsieur  de  Lally  at  the 
moment  that  he  became  a  marked  man,  it  is  well  to 
tell  the  story  of  his  origin,  as  well  as  the  remarkable 
history  of  that  illegitimacy  from  father  to  son  which 
has  perhaps  never  been  encountered  in  any  other 
family. 

Gerard  Lally,  the  great-grandfather  of  the  Lally 

[68] 


EVE  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

of  whom  I  am  speaking,  was  a  poor  little  Irish  gentle- 
man who  had  taken  the  side  of  James  II.  I  think  that 
he  came  originally  from  the  estate  of  my  ancestor, 
Lord  Dillon. 

The  daughter  of  my  great-great-uncle,  Lord  Dillon, 
had  been  seduced  by  this  Gerard  Lally,  who  was 
probably  handsome  and  attractive.  A  son  was  born 
of  their  relations,  and  Lord  Dillon  demanded  that 
Gerard  should  wed  his  daughter  and  legitimatize  the 
child:  first  case  of  bastardy. 

The  natural  son  of  Gerard  Lally  distinguished 
himself  during  the  troubles  and  wars  of  James  II, 
who  made  him  a  baronet  and  permitted  him  to 
recruit  troops  on  the  estate  of  his  ancestors.  He  ac- 
companied James  II  to  France  and  died,  if  I  am  not 
mistaken,  at  Saint-Germain.  Although  he  was  never 
married,  nevertheless  he  also  left  a  natural  son  by  a 
lady  of  Normandy,  whose  name  I  have  never  known: 
second  case  of  bastardy. 

The  natural  son  of  Sir  Gerard  Lally  became  the 
General  Lally  who  was  condemned  to  death  and 
executed  in  1766  and  whose  name  was  rehabilitated 
in  1781. 

At  seventeen  years  of  age  he  entered  the  Army  and 
distinguished  himself  in  all  the  wars  of  Louis  XV. 
He  accompanied  Prince  Charles  Edward  in  the 
glorious  campaign  of  1745,  which  ended  in  the  un- 
fortunate defeat  of  Culloden  in  1746. 

It  Is  said  that  on  his  return  to  France  he  became 
very  much  enamored  of  my  grandmother.  But  this 
is  certain,  that  he  formed  a  very  tender  friendship 
for  Mile.  Mary  Dillon,  elder  sister  of  my  great-uncle, 

C69] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne.  Mile.  Mary  Dillon  was 
never  married  and  died  in  1786  at  Saint-Germain-en- 
Laye,  at  a  very  advanced  age. 

She  was  on  bad  terms  for  a  long  time  with  her 
brother,  the  Archbishop.  This  misunderstanding, 
caused  originally  by  some  family  disagreement,  was 
perpetuated  by  the  troublesome  interference  of  my 
grandmother,  Mme.  de  Rothe,  who  feared  the  in- 
fluence on  the  Archbishop  of  Mile.  Dillon,  whom  she 
detested.  It  so  happened  that  I  never  saw  Mile. 
Dillon  until  the  year  before  her  death.  She  had  then 
become  reconciled  with  my  uncle,  and  we  frequently 
went  to  see  her  at  Saint-Germain. 

But  to  return  to  Lally  and  the  third  case  of 
bastardy,  to  which  the  family  seemed  to  be  con- 
demned. Before  General  de  Lally  was  sent  to  India 
as  Governor  of  the  French  possessions,  he  had  had 
an  intrigue  amoureuse  with  a  Comtesse  de  Maulde, 
nee  Saluces,  wife  of  a  Flemish  lord  of  the  environs 
of  Arras  or  of  Saint-Omer,  and  aunt  of  the  Saluces 
whom  we  knew  at  Bordeaux.  As  a  result  of  this 
liaison  he  had  a  son  whom  he  caused  to  be  brought 
up  under  another  name  at  the  Jesuit  College  of 
Paris.  A  dramatic  event  was  destined  to  have  a 
dominant  influence  upon  the  future  of  this  child. 

As  I  have  already  said,  Mile.  Mary  Dillon,  who 
was  a  great  friend  of  General  de  Lally,  was  his 
confidante  in  the  matter  of  the  intrigue  with  the 
Comtesse  de  Maulde  and  looked  after  this  child, 
who  was  ignorant  of  his  origin  and  of  the  name  of 
his  father.  After  the  execution  of  General  de  Lally, 
an  Irish  officer  named  Drumgold  was  entrusted  by 

C70] 


EVE  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

Mile.  Dillon  with  the  details  of  the  allowance  of  this 
young  boy  and  went  to  see  him.  Drumgold  no  sooner 
found  himself  alone  with  the  child  than  this  lad  of 
twelve  years  began  to  speak  to  him  of  the  execution 
of  Monsieur  de  Lally  which  had  taken  place  the 
previous  day.  He  approved  of  the  sentence,  and,  to 
justify  it,  repeated  all  the  arguments  which  he  had 
heard  at  the  Jesuit  College.  Drumgold,  unable  to 
remain  silent  upon  hearing  such  language  from  the 
mouth  of  the  son  of  the  person  who  had  just  been 
executed,  cried:  "Malheureux,  il  etait  ton  pere!" 
At  these  words  young  Lally  fainted  and  remained 
unconscious  several  hours.  A  severe  illness  followed, 
and  it  was  during  his  convalescence  that  he  formed 
the  resolution  to  consecrate  his  life  to  the  rehabilita- 
tion of  the  memory  of  his  father.  From  this  moment 
all  his  readings,  all  his  studies,  all  his  thoughts 
tended  to  this  end. 

General  de  Lally  had  recognized  his  son  in  his  will. 
The  boy  took  his  name,  and  at  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  commenced  the  work  of  rehabilitating  his 
father  by  composing  pleadings  and  memoirs  which 
were  models  of  close  reasoning  and  eloquence.  Dur- 
ing a  period  of  twenty  years  this  was  his  sole  occupa- 
tion and  his  only  thought.  Having  received  very 
little  money  from  the  inheritance  of  his  father,  he 
lived  with  Mile.  Dillon  at  Saint-Germain-en-Laye 
and  was  protected  by  Marechal  de  Noailles  and  by 
Marechal  de  Beauvau,  both  friends  of  Mile.  Dillon. 
When,  in  1785,  my  great-uncle  became  reconciled 
with  his  sister,  we  saw  at  her  appariement  at  Saint- 
Germain,  Monsieur  de  Lally  whom  1  had  not  previ- 

C71] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

ously  known.  He  was  then  about  thirty-five  years  of 
age  and  had  a  very  handsome  face  but  an  effeminate 
air  which  did  not  please  me.  After  having  pleaded 
before  three  Parlements,  he  had  succeeded  in  gaining 
his  cause,  and  had  acquired  a  great  reputation  for 
eloquence  and  a  well-merited  standing,  from  the 
constancy  with  which  he  had  carried  his  case  to 
success.  It  would  be  only  just  to  attribute  a  great 
part  of  the  honor  of  his  conduct  to  Mile.  Dillon.  A 
person  of  distinguished  spirit,  of  very  superior  charac- 
ter, she  had  gained  an  absolute  empire  over  Monsieur 
de  Lally,  and  in  the  solitude  in  which  she  lived  at 
Saint-Germain,  she  was  entirely  devoted  to  his  in- 
terests. She  died  in  1786,  leaving  him  by  her  will  all 
the  property  of  which  she  was  able  to  dispose.  More 
than  this,  she  had  arranged  that  he  should  have 
the  reversion  of  the  appartement  which  she  occupied 
at  Saint-Germain  and  which  was  the  one  given  by 
Louis  XIV  to  her  father  when  he  arrived  at  this 
chateau  with  James  II.  She  had  been  born  there,  as 
well  as  her  four  sisters  and  five  brothers,  of  whom 
the  youngest  was  the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne.  My 
father  deeply  regretted,  when  he  returned  from  the 
Islands,  that  she  had  disposed  of  this  lodging  —  the 
cradle  of  the  family  in  France.  Monsieur  de  Lally 
would  have  shown  more  delicacy  in  not  accepting, 
among  the  objects  which  were  left  him,  many  of  the 
family  souvenirs,  which  were  without  value  to  him, 
but  which  my  father  and  I  highly  esteemed  on  account 
of  their  origin. 


C72] 


CHAPTER  NINE 

1789 
FALL  OF  THE   BASTILLE 

Mine,  de  Genlis. —  Education  of  the  Young  Orleans  Princes. — 
Pamela. —  Horse  Races  at  Vincennes. —  First  Popular 
Meetings. —  Residence  at  Versailles. —  Session  of  the  Open- 
ing of  the  States-General. —  Attitude  of  the  King  and 
Queen. —  Feebleness  of  the  Court. —  Departure  of  Mon- 
sieur Necker. — The  14  July  1789. —  Return  of  Mme. 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  to  Paris. —  The  Waters  of  Forges. 

THE  winter  of  1789,  which  w^as  cold  and  dis- 
astrous for  the  people,  in  society  was  as 
brilliant  as  usual  with  spectacles  and  balls. 

During  this  time  circumstances  led  me  to  make  a 
very  curious  acquaintance.  Mme.  de  Genlis  was  gou- 
verneur  of  the  young  Orleans  Princes  and  of  their 
sister  Louise.  This  unusual  title  of  gouverneur  was 
one  which  the  Due  d'Orleans  had  wished  to  give  her. 
On  his  demanding  permission  of  the  King,  Louis  XVI, 
the  latter  replied,  shrugging  his  shoulders  and  turn- 
ing on  his  heel:  "Gouverneur  ou  Gouvernante!  vous 
etes  le  maitre  de  faire  ce  qu'il  vous  plaira;  d'ailleurs, 
le  Comte  d'Artois  a  des  enfants." 

Mme.  de  Genlis  lived  in  a  pavilion  of  the  Convent 
of  Belle-Chasse,  which  was  situated  at  the  end  of  the 
Rue  de  Belle-Chasse,  in  the  Rue  Saint-Dominique. 
This  pavilion,  which  was  very  small,  was  composed 
of  a  rez-de-chausseey  which  you  entered  immediately 

[73] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

from  the  street,  after  having  mounted  several  steps 
covered  by  an  auvent  under  which  carriages  could 
penetrate  if  the  coachman  was  not  too  maladroit. 
A  vestibule,  where  the  servants  remained,  served  as 
an  antechamber.  Mme.  de  Genlis  occupied  this  small 
pavilion  with  Mile.  d'Orleans  who  was  then  thirteen 
years  of  age.  She  had  with  her  Pamela,  afterwards 
Lady  Fitz-Gerald,  of  whom  I  shall  speak  later  on,  and 
Henriette  de  Sercey,  both  of  whom  were  being  brought 
up  with  the  Princess.  The  Princes  themselves  did  not 
sleep  in  the  pavilion.  They  were  brought  there  at 
an  early  hour  of  the  morning  and  returned  in  the 
evening  after  supper,  with  their  sous-gouverneuTy  to 
sleep  at  the  Palais-Royal.  As  I  had  often  met  them, 
and  as  I  was  very  friendly  with  Mme.  de  Valence, 
the  daughter  of  Mme.  de  Genlis,  Mme.  de  Montesson 
invited  me  to  come  to  see  her  when  the  young 
Princes  were  there.  Mme.  de  Genlis  had  taken  a 
great  fancy  to  me,  and  wished  to  have  me  present 
at  the  little  soirees  dansantes  which  she  gave  once  a 
week  during  this  winter.  The  dances  always  finished 
before  eleven  o'clock  and  were  not  followed  by  a 
supper. 

The  Due  de  Chartres,  afterwards  King  Louis- 
Philippe,  had  commenced  to  go  out  in  society,  that 
is  to  say,  he  was  sometimes  present  at  the  suppers 
at  the  Palais-Royal.  He  had  entered  the  Army  and 
had  the  cordon  bleu.  He  was  a  fat  boy,  very  awkward 
and  uncouth,  with  pale  and  hanging  cheeks,  an  air 
at  once  sly,  serious  and  timid.  He  was  said  to  be  well 
informed  and  even  learned.  It  would  be  unjust  to 
assert,  nevertheless,  that   Mme.  de  Genlis'  system 

[74] 


FALL  OF  THE   BASTILLE 

of  education  liad  not  its  good  side,  especially  when 
you  compared  it  with  the  one  adopted  for  his  two 
pupils  by  the  Due  de  Serent,  gouverneur  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  Comte  d'Artois.  No  one  ever  saw  them, 
and  they  remained  as  great  strangers  to  France  as 
if  they  were  to  reign  in  China.  The  Orleans  Princes, 
on  the  other  hand,  devoted  their  promenades  and 
their  recreations  to  everything  which  could  instruct 
them.  They  learned  at  the  same  time  that  they  were 
amused.  This  rendered  them  popular,  and  events 
have  shown  that  the  one  of  the  three  who  survived 
profited  by  his  experience. 

Since  I  have  mentioned  the  name  of  Pamela,  let  us 
speak  a  moment  of  her  origin.  Mme.  de  Genlis  let 
people  understand  that  she  had  found  the  child  in 
England,  but  everybody  thought  that  she  was  the 
daughter  of  herself  and  the  Due  d'Orleans  (Egalite). 
Strangely  enough,  however,  I  have  reason  to  believe 
that  the  assertion  of  Mme.  de  Genlis  was  the  truth. 
My  aunt.  Lady  Jerningham,  had  known  intimately 
in  Shropshire,  where  her  husband  had  a  large  estate, 
a  clergyman  who  was  also  acquainted  with  Mme.  de 
Genlis.  This  clergyman  stated  that  he  had  received 
a  letter  from  Mme.  de  Genlis  asking  him  to  find  for 
her  a  young  girl  whom  she  wished  to  adopt.  The 
Curate  said  that  he  had  found  such  a  child  and  that 
he  had  sent  her  to  a  place  in  London  which  had  been 
indicated  to  him,  and  Lady  Jerningham  had  no 
doubt  but  that  this  child  was  Pamela. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen,  when  I  knew  her,  you  could 
not  imagine  anything  more  delicate  than  her  face, 
which  had  not  a  defect  nor  even  an  unperfection. 

[75] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

She  was  as  beautiful  as  a  young  goddess.  All  of  her 
movements  were  graceful;  her  smile  was  angelic; 
her  teeth  like  pearls.  In  1792,  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
she  turned  the  head  of  Lord  Edward  Fitz-Gerald, 
fifth  son  of  the  Duke  of  Leinster,  who  married  her 
and  took  her  to  Ireland,  where  he  was  head  of  the 
insurgents  —  "United  Irishmen."  On  the  death  of 
her  husband  she  returned  to  the  Continent  and 
established  herself  at  Hamburg,  where  she  married 
the  American  consul,  Mr.  Pitcairn.  I  shall  speak  of 
her  later  on. 

In  the  spring  of  1789,  after  the  winter  which  had 
been  so  cruel  for  the  poor,  and  after  the  opening  of 
the  States-General,  never  had  people  shown  them- 
selves more  disposed  to  amusement,  without  being 
embarrassed  in  any  way  by  the  public  misery.  There 
were  races  at  Vincennes,  where  the  horses  of  the 
Due  d'Orleans  ran  against  those  of  the  Comte 
d'Artois.  It  was  when  returning  from  the  last  of 
these  races  with  Mme.  de  Valence  in  her  carriage 
that,  in  passing  through  the  Rue  Saint-Antoine,  we 
came  upon  the  first  of  the  public  Assemblies  of  this 
epoch. 

The  elections  being  terminated,  every  one  made 
arrangements  to  establish  himself  at  Versailles.  All 
the  members  of  the  States-General  searched  for 
apartments  in  the  city.  Those  who  were  attached  to 
the  Court,  arranged  to  occupy  the  apartments  re- 
served for  them  in  the  Chateau.  My  aunt  had  her 
lodging  there  and   I   lived  with  her.   Her  quarters 

C76] 


FALL  OF  THE   BASTILLE 

were  located  very  high,  over  the  Gallery  of  the 
Princes,  and  were  situated  in  the  wing  of  the  Chateau 
fronting  on  the  Parterre  du  Midi  and  the  Terrasse 
de  rOrangerie.  The  room  which  I  occupied  looked 
out  on  the  roofs,  while  that  of  my  aunt  faced  the 
terrace  and  had  a  very  fine  view.  We  occupied  these 
lodgings  Saturday  nights  only.  Monsieur  de  Poix, 
as  Governor  of  Versailles,  had  at  his  disposal  a 
charming  little  house  with  a  pretty  garden  at  the 
Menagerie,  which  was  a  small  isolated  chateau  situ- 
ated in  the  Grand  Pare  at  the  extremity  of  one  of 
the  arms  of  the  canal,  opposite  the  Trianon.  He 
loaned  this  to  my  aunt,  and  here  we  settled  with  our 
servants,  her  horses  and  mine,  that  is  to  say,  my 
saddle-horses  and  my  English  groom.  This  lodging 
was  very  agreeable.  All  of  our  acquaintances  were 
established  at  Versailles,  and  we  attended  with 
pleasure,  and  without  anxiety,  the  opening  of 
this  Assembly  which  was  to  regenerate  France. 
When  I  reflect  now  upon  this  blindness,  I  can  only 
conceive  it  as  possible  for  young  people  like  myself. 
As  for  men  of  affairs,  and  the  Ministers,  the  thing 
seems  inexplicable. 

My  husband  was  so  put  out  because  he  had  not 
been  elected  Deputy  to  the  States-General  that  he 
did  not  wish  to  be  present  at  the  opening  of  the 
session.  The  spectacle  was  magnificent,  but  as  it  has 
been  so  often  described  in  the  memoirs  of  the  time, 
I  shall  not  speak  of  it.  The  King  wore  the  costume 
of  the  "cordons  bleus"  and  all  the  Princes  the  same, 
with  the  difference  only  that  the  King's  costume  was 
more  richly  ornamented  and  covered  with  diamonds. 

[77] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

This  good  Prince  had  no  dignity  of  carriage.  He  held 
himself  badly  and  waddled;  his  movements  were 
brusque  and  ungraceful,  and  his  shortsightedness, 
inasmuch  as  it  was  not  customary  then  to  wear 
glasses,  caused  him  to  squint.  His  speech,  although 
very  short,  was  given  in  a  resolute  tone.  The  Queen 
was  remarkable  for  her  great  dignity,  but  you  could 
see  by  the  almost  convulsive  movements  of  her  fan 
that  she  was  very  much  moved. 

The  address  of  Monsieur  Necker,  Minister  of 
Finance,  bored  me  to  death.  It  lasted  more  than  two 
hours  and,  to  my  nineteen  years,  seemed  eternal. 

The  first  of  June  my  husband  and  the  other 
Colonels  rejoined  their  regiments.  He  was  in  garrison 
at  Valenciennes,  and  consequently  was  not  connected 
with  the  troops  which  had  been  assembled  at  the 
gates  of  Paris,  under  the  command  of  Marechal  de 
Broglie.  Owing  to  the  fatal  feebleness  which  was  al- 
ways shown  at  the  moment  when  firmness  was 
necessary,  the  Government  did  not  employ  these 
troops  at  the  opportune  moment.  The  Queen  showed 
only  discontent  without  ever  deciding  to  act. 

Meanwhile  there  was  no  material  change  in  the 
system  of  etiquette  which  enveloped  the  Court. 
Every  day  I  wrote  my  husband  the  news  which  I 
had  gathered.  These  letters,  which  would  have  been 
of  great  assistance  to  me  in  writing  these  souvenirs, 
I  did  not  preserve. 

The  first  event  which  seemed  to  me  serious  was 
the  withdrawal  of  Monsieur  Necker  from  the  Minis- 
try. It  was  the  extraordinary  conditions  of  his  de- 
parture, rather  than  the  consequences,  which  struck 

[78] 


FALL  OF  THE   BASTILLE 

mc.  I  had  made  a  visit  to  the  Controle-General  the 
eve  of  the  day  that  we  were  to  set  out,  my  aunt  and 
I,  to  visit  the  Marechal  de  Beauvau  at  his  country 
house  of  Le  Val,  at  the  end  of  the  terrace  of  Saint- 
Germain.  While  we  were  taking  luncheon  in  the 
pavilion  in  the  garden,  a  valet  de  chambre  arrived 
very  much  troubled  and  inquired  of  the  Marechal 
if  he  knew  where  Monsieur  Necker  was.  He  added 
that  the  evening  before,  on  returning  from  the 
Council,  the  Minister  had  gotten  into  a  carriage 
with  Mme.  Necker,  saying  that  he  was  going  to  take 
supper  at  Le  Val,  and  that  since  then  he  had  not 
been  seen,  and  no  one  knew  where  to  find  him.  This 
disappearance  very  much  disturbed  us,  and  my  aunt 
wished  to  return  to  Versailles,  or  rather  to  the 
Menagerie,  where  we  were  established.  On  arriving 
there  the  mystery  was  unveiled.  The  horses  of  Mon- 
sieur Necker  had  returned  to  Versailles  after  having 
conducted  their  master  to  Bourget.  From  this  place 
he  had  taken  the  post  to  go  to  Switzerland  by  way 
of  the  Low  Countries.  His  intention,  in  so  leaving 
the  Ministry,  was  to  avoid  testimonials  of  his  popu- 
larity which  his  departure  could  not  have  failed  to 
evoke. 

Mme.  de  Montesson,  who  was  at  Paris,  had  formed 
the  plan  of  going  to  Berny  to  pass  the  summer. 
Loving  the  world  as  she  did,  she  would  doubtless 
have  preferred  to  establish  herself  for  the  season  at 
Versailles,  which  was  then  the  centre  of  society  and 
affairs.  But  her  position  with  regard  to  the  Court 
did  not  permit  this.  Berny  was  not  very  far  from 
Versailles  and  she  could  go  there  in  two  hours  by 

[79] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  Sceaux  road.  She  therefore  decided  to  establish 
herself  there  with  Mme.  de  Valence  and  invited 
me  to  come  and  pass  a  month  or  six  weeks. 

The  thirteenth  of  July  therefore  I  sent  off  my 
saddle-horses,  with  my  English  groom,  who  hardly 
spoke  French,  and  ordered  him  to  go  by  way  of 
Paris  in  order  to  secure  certain  articles  which  were 
necessary.  I  relate  this  little  incident  as  proof  that 
no  one  had  the  least  idea  of  what  was  to  happen  in 
Paris  the  following  day.  The  little  army  which  was 
assembled  In  the  Plain  of  Crenelle  and  the  Champ- 
de-Mars  reassured  the  Court,  and  although  there 
were  desertions  every  day,  no  one  was  disturbed. 

When  you  remember  that  my  personal  position 
put  me  in  the  way  of  knowing  everything;  that 
Monsieur  de  Lally,  an  influential  member  of  the 
Assembly,  lived  with  my  aunt  and  myself  at  the 
little  house  of  the  Menagerie;  that  I  went  every  day 
to  supper  at  Versailles  with  Mme.  de  Poix,  whose 
husband  was  Captain  of  the  Guards  and  a  member 
of  the  Assembly,  and  saw  the  King  every  evening, 
you  will  be  very  much  surprised  at  what  I  am  going 
to  relate. 

Our  security  was  so  profound  that  the  14  July 
at  noon  we  had  no  idea,  my  aunt  and  myself,  that 
there  was  the  slightest  tumult  at  Paris,  and  I  got 
into  my  carriage  with  a  maid,  and  a  domestic  on  the 
box,  to  go  to  Berny  by  the  highway  to  Sceaux 
which  traverses  the  Bois  de  Verrieres.  It  is  true  that 
this  route,  that  of  Versailles  to  Choisy-le-Roi,  does 
not  pass  through  any  villages  and  is  very  solitary. 

C80] 


FALL  OF  THE   BASTILLE 

I  recall  that  I  had  dined  at  an  early  hour  at  Versailles 
so  as  to  arrive  at  Berny  in  my  apartment  before 
supper,  which  in  the  country'  was  served  at  nine 
o'clock.  On  arriving  at  Berny,  I  was  surprised,  after 
having  entered  the  first  court,  to  see  no  one  and  to 
find  the  stables  deserted,  the  doors  closed  and  the 
same  solitude  in  the  court  of  the  chateau.  The  con- 
cierge, who  knew  me  well,  on  hearing  the  carriage 
came  out  on  the  step  and  cried  with  a  troubled  air: 
"Eh!  mon  Dieu,  madame!  Madame  n'est  pas  ici. 
Personne  n'est  sorti  de  Paris.  On  a  tire  le  canon  de 
la  Bastille.  II  y  a  eu  un  massacre.  Quitter  la  ville 
est  impossible.  Les  portes  sont  barricadees  et  gardees 
par  les  Gardes  Franfaises  qui  se  sont  revokes  avec 
le  peuple." 

You  can  conceive  of  my  astonishment  —  greater 
even  than  my  anxiety;  but  as  unforeseen  cir- 
cumstances, in  spite  of  my  youth,  did  not  greatly 
disconcert  me,  I  ordered  the  carriage  to  turn  around 
and  conduct  me  to  the  poste  aux  chevaux  of  Berny, 
where  I  knew  the  master  to  be  a  worthy  man,  very 
devoted  to  Mme.  de  Montesson  and  her  friends.  I 
told  him  of  my  desire  to  return  immediately  to 
Versailles.  He  confirmed  to  me  the  stor}^  of  the 
concierge.  My  hired  coachman,  however,  declared 
that  he  would  not  return  to  Versailles  for  anything 
in  the  world.  I  then  arranged  to  have  hitched  up 
four  post  horses  with  two  postilions,  for  whom  the 
master  vouched  as  determined  fellows,  and  we  set 
out  at  a  full  gallop  to  return  to  Versailles.  I  arrived 
there  at  eleven  o'clock.  My  aunt,  who  had  a  head- 
ache, was  already  in  bed.   She  had  not  seen  Mme. 

[8i] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

de  Poix,  and  Monsieur  de  Lally  had  not  returned. 
She  therefore  knew  nothing.  On  seeing  me  at  her 
bedside  she  thought  that  she  had  a  bad  dream  or 
that  my  head  was  turned.  As  for  myself,  I  confess 
that  the  fate  of  my  English  groom  and  my  three 
horses  worried  me  more  than  anything  else. 

The  next  morning  at  an  early  hour  we  were  at 
the  Chateau.  My  aunt  went  to  look  for  news,  while 
I  hastened  to  my  father-in-law,  from  whom  I 
learned  everything  that  had  passed:  the  taking  of 
the  Bastille ;  the  revolt  of  the  regiment  of  the  French 
Guards;  the  deaths  of  MM.  de  Launay  and  Flesselles 
and  of  many  others  who  were  more  obscure ;  the  use- 
less charge  upon  the  Place  Louis  XV  of  the  squad- 
ron Royal-Allemand,  commanded  by  the  Prince  de 
Lambesc.  The  following  day  a  deputation  of  the 
people  forced  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  to  place  him- 
self at  the  head  of  the  National  Guard  which  had 
been  instituted. 

Seven  or  eight  days  after  the  14  July,  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  arrived  en  secret  at  Versailles  from 
his  garrison,  as  he  was  much  disturbed  regarding  his 
father  and  myself.  The  Ministry  of  War  did  not  dis- 
approve of  this  slight  infraction,  and  a  leave  of 
absence  was  given  him  at  the  request  of  his  father 
who  was  glad  to  have  his  son  beside  him.  Neverthe- 
less, after  the  visit  of  the  King  to  Paris,  which  had 
been  required  by  the  Commune,  and  the  return  of 
Monsieur  Necker,  who  had  been  brought  back  in  the 
hope  of  calming  the  excitement,  my  husband,  who 
did  not  think  that  his  father  should  accept  the  posi- 

[82] 


FALL  OF  THE   BASTILLE 

tion  of  Minister  of  War,  whidi  iuid  been  offered  him, 
wished  to  leave  Versailles  in  order  not  to  inHuence 
his  father  in  his  determination. 

I  had  been  ordered  to  go  to  the  S])rings  of  Forges 
in  Normandy,  and  the  month  which  we  spent  there 
is  one  of  the  periods  of  my  life  which  I  recall  with 
the  greatest  pleasure.  Having  sent  our  saddle-horses, 
we  made  long  promenades  every  day  in  the  beautiful 
woods  and  pretty  country  which  surround  this  little 
city.  We  had  brought  with  us  a  great  variety  of  books 
and  my  husband,  an  indefatigable  reader,  read  them 
to  me  while  I  occupied  myself  with  embroidery  and 
other  handiwork. 


[83] 


CHAPTER  TEN 

1789 
VERSAILLES  INVADED  BY  THE  MOB 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Pere,  Minister  of  War. —  Official 
Dinners. —  Commencement  of  the  Emigration. —  Ruin  of 
the  La  Tour  du  Pin  Family. —  The  Controle-General  and 
Mme.  de  Stael. —  Organization  of  the  National  Guard  of 
Versailles. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  Second  in  Com- 
mand.—  The  National  Guard  of  Paris  and  Monsieur  de 
La  Fayette. —  Banquet  of  the  Gardes  du  Corps  at  the 
Chateau. —  Day  of  the  5th  of  October. —  The  King  at  the 
Hunt. —  Paris  Marches  on  Versailles. —  Arrangements  for 
the  Defence. —  The  Women  of  Paris  at  Versailles. —  Revolt 
of  the  National  Guard  of  Versailles. —  Plan  for  the  De- 
parture of  the  Royal  Family  for  Rambouillet. —  Invasion 
of  the  Offices  of  the  Ministry. —  Hesitation  of  the  King. — 
Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  with  the  King. —  Calm  Re- 
established.—  Day  of  the  6th  of  October. —  An  Armed 
Band  Invades  the  Chateau. —  Massacre  of  the  Gardes  du 
Corps. —  Attempted  Assassination  of  the  Queen. —  Presence 
of  the  Due  d'Orleans. —  Departure  of  the  Royal  Family 
for  Paris. —  The  King  Confides  the  Guard  of  the  Palace 
of  Versailles  to  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Mme.  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  Takes  Refuge  at  Saint-Germain. 

SEVERAL  days  after  the  events  which  I  have 
just  recounted,  my  husband  received  a  courier 
announcing  the  nomination  of  his  father  as 
Minister  of  War.  We  immediately  set  out  for  Ver- 
sailles. This  was  the  commencement  of  my  public 
life.  My  father-in-law  took  up  his  quarters  in  the 

[84], 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

War  Department,  which  was  installed  in  that  part 
of  the  Palace  forming  the  southern  wing  of  the  Cour 
des  Ministres.  He  put  me  at  the  head  of  his  mansion 
to  do  the  honors,  together  with  my  sister-in-law,  who 
was  also  lodged  at  the  Ministry,  hut  who,  at  the  end 
of  two  months,  was  obliged  to  leave  us.  With  my 
husband  I  occupied  a  fine  apartment  on  the  first 
floor.  I  had  become  so  accustomed  at  Montj)ellier 
and  Paris  to  state  dinners  that  my  new  situation 
did  not  in  any  way  embarrass  me.  There  were  two 
dinners  a  week  of  twenty-four  covers,  to  which  were 
invited  all  the  members  of  the  Assembly  in  turn. 
Their  wives  were  never  invited.  Mme.  de  Lamcth 
and  I  were  seated  facing  each  other,  and  we  had  be- 
side us  the  four  individuals  of  the  most  importance, 
chosen  always  from  the  different  parties.  Inasmuch 
as  we  were  at  Versailles,  the  men,  without  exception, 
were  always  in  full  dress  at  these  dinners,  and  I  re- 
member Monsieur  de  Robespierre,  in  an  apple-green 
costume,  with  a  mass  of  white  hair  which  was  well 
dressed.  Mirabeau  was  the  only  one  who  did  not 
come  and  was  never  invited.  I  often  went  out  to 
supper  —  sometimes  to  the  houses  of  our  colleagues, 
and  sometimes  to  those  of  persons  established  at 
Versailles  during  the  period  of  the  National  Assembly. 
Two  days  after  the  taking  of  the  Bastille,  the 
fourteenth  of  July,  the  Comte  d'Artois,  with  his 
children,  left  France  and  went  to  Turin  to  his  father- 
in-law,  the  King  of  Sardinia.  Several  persons  of  his 
household  accompanied  him,  among  others,  Monsieur 
d'Henin,  the  Captain  of  his  Guards.  The  Queen, 
thinking  that  the  popular  feeling  might  compromise 

[85] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  security  of  the  PoHgnac  family,  arranged  for 
them  also  to  leave  France.  Mme.  de  Polignac  took 
with  her  her  daughter,  the  Duchesse  de  Gramont, 
and  I  saw  her  for  the  last  time  on  the  eve  of  her 
departure. 

Everything  in  France  follows  the  custom,  and  that 
of  emigration  commenced  at  this  time.  All  began  to 
raise  money  upon  their  property  in  order  to  carry 
away  a  large  sum.  Nobody  at  that  time  foresaw  the 
consequences  that  would  follow  this  action. 

Nevertheless,  the  motion  adopted  the  night  of  the 
fourth  of  August,  which  destroyed  feudal  rights, 
should  have  proved  to  the  most  incredulous  that  the 
National  Assembly  would  not  stop  at  this  beginning 
of  robbery.  My  father-in-law  was  ruined,  and  we 
have  never  recovered  from  this  blow  to  our  fortune. 
Entire  spoliation  was  not  decreed  at  this  time;  they 
only  settled  the  rate  at  which  property  could  be  re- 
acquired; but  before  the  expiration  of  the  date  fixed 
for  the  payment  of  this  sum,  it  was  decided  that  such 
payment  could  not  be  made.  In  fine,  everything  was 
lost.  By  a  stroke  of  the  pen  we  were  ruined.  Since 
then  we  have  been  obliged  to  live  by  expedients, 
from  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  what  remained  to  us. 

At  this  time  I  did  not  realize  that  my  grandmother, 
who  during  the  past  six  months  had  retired  to  Haute- 
fontaine  with  my  uncle,  the  Archbishop,  was  also 
to  entirely  deprive  m.e  of  my  fortune,  upon  which  I 
had  every  reason  to  count.  I  could  not  foresee  that 
my  uncle,  who  still  enjoyed  an  income  of  over  400,000 
francs,  of  which  he  could  not  spend  one  fourth  part, 
in  the  retreat  where  he  lived,  would  leave,  when  he 

[86] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   HY  THE   MOB 

dei)artcd  from  France  the  following  year,  nearly  two 
million  francs  of  debts  in  which  my  grandmother  was 
compromised. 

We  did  not  at  once  realize  all  the  consequences  of 
the  ruin  which  had  come  to  us.  My  father-in-law  as 
Minister  received  a  salary  of  300,000  francs,  besides 
his  income  as  Lieutenant-General  and  Commander  of 
a  province.  However,  he  was  obliged  to  keep  up  an 
expensive  establishment,  and  besides  the  two  state 
dinners  a  week  of  twenty-four  covers,  we  gave  two 
elegant  suppers  to  which  I  invited  twenty-five  or 
thirty  ladies. 

Mme.  Necker,  the  wife  of  the  Co7itrdle-Ghieral,  or 
to  speak  more  correctly,  of  the  Prime  Minister,  lived 
on  a  footing  similar  to  our  own.  But  as  she  rarely 
went  out,  she  received  every  day  at  supper  the 
Deputies  and  the  savants,  together  with  the  admirers 
of  her  daughter,  who  was  then  in  the  full  flush  of  her 
youth.  Interested  at  the  same  time  in  politics,  science. 
Intrigue  and  love.  Mme.  de  Stael  lived  with  her 
father  at  the  ministerial  residence  at  Versailles,  and 
it  was  at  this  period  that  she  was  the  most  Involved 
with  Alexandre  de  Lameth,  who  at  the  time  was 
still  the  friend  of  my  husband.  This  friendship, 
which  dated  from  their  youth,  disturbed  me.  I  had 
a  very  poor  opinion  of  the  morality  of  this  young 
man,  and  my  sister-in-law  shared  my  feeling  in  this 
respect.  Therefore,  when  several  months  later  my 
husband  completely  broke  with  him  and  his  brother 
Charles,  we  were  delighted.  Although  I  was  on  a 
footing  of  intimate  relations  with  Mme.  de  Stael, 
these  never  went  so  far  as  confidence  In  her. 

[87] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

This  woman  was  a  strange  mixture  of  good  and  bad 
qualities,  of  which  I  have  often  endeavored  to  explain 
the  connection.  Her  good  qualities  were  tarnished  by 
the  passions  to  which  she  easily  gave  way.  Neverthe- 
less, it  would  be  wrong  to  think  that  I  considered 
her  as  really  a  licentious  person.  In  spite  of  every- 
thing, she  always  exacted  a  certain  delicacy  of  senti- 
ment, and  she  was  susceptible  to  passions  which 
were  very  strong  and  very  ardent  as  long  as  they 
lasted.  Thus  it  was  that  she  passionately  loved  Mon- 
sieur de  Narbonne,  who  abandoned  her  in  a  very 
unworthy  manner. 

At  this  time  the  National  Guard  was  being  organ- 
ized throughout  the  kingdom  on  the  model  of  that 
of  Paris,  of  which  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  was 
Generalissimo.  The  King  himself  desired  that  that  of 
Versailles  should  be  formed  and  that  all  the  clerks 
and  employes  of  the  Ministry  should  become  mem- 
bers. In  the  Comte  d'Estaing  a  bad  choice  was  made 
for  the  Commander.  My  father  had  served  under  his 
orders  at  the  beginning  of  the  American  war  and 
had  the  most  positive  proofs  that  the  Comte  was 
lacking  not  only  in  ability  but  in  courage.  However, 
on  his  return  he  was  loaded  with  praise,  whereas  my 
father,  to  whom  he  owed  his  first  success,  as  it  was 
the  Dillon  Regiment  which  took  Grenade,  received 
after  the  war  only  neglect.  It  was  due  to  the  request 
of  the  Queen  that  Monsieur  d'Estaing  was  named  as 
Commander-in-chief  of  the  National  Guard  of  Ver- 
sailles. My  father-in-law  appointed  his  son  as  second 
in  command,  which  was  equivalent  to  the  real  com- 

[88] 


VERSAILLES  INVADED  BY  THE  MOB 

mand,  as  Monsieur  d'Estaing  never  occupied  himself 
with  his  duties  except  when  he  was  unahle  to  avoid 
it.  Monsieur  Berthier,  who  was  later  Prince  de  Wa- 
gram,  a  very  distinguished  officer  of  the  General 
Staff,  was  named  as  Major-General.  He  was  a  worthy 
man  who  had  talent  as  organizer,  but  the  feebleness 
of  his  character  left  him  open  to  all  kinds  of  intrigues. 

The  day  of  Saint-Louis  it  was  customary  for  the 
magistrates  and  officers  of  the  city  of  Paris  to  bring 
their  felicitations  to  the  King.  This  year  the  National 
Guard  wished  also  to  take  part  in  this  function,  and 
the  Generalissimo,  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette,  went  to 
Versailles  with  his  staff,  at  the  same  time  as  Monsieur 
Bailly,  the  Mayor  of  Paris,  and  all  of  the  municipal 
officers.  The  fish-women  also  came  as  usual  to  bring 
a  bouquet  to  the  King.  The  Queen  received  them  all 
ceremoniously  in  the  salon  vert,  adjoining  her  bed- 
chamber. The  ordinary  etiquette  of  these  receptions 
was  followed.  The  Queen,  as  usual,  wore  a  dress 
which  was  very  much  trimmed  and  covered  with 
diamonds.  She  was  seated  in  a  large  fauteuil  with  a 
kind  of  small  stool  at  her  feet.  At  right  and  left, 
seated  upon  stools,  were  several  Duchesses  in  full 
dress,  and  behind  them,  all  the  ladies  and  gentlemen 
of  the  household. 

The  usher  announced:  "La  ville  de  Paris!"  The 
Queen  expected  that  the  Mayor  would  kneel  as  he 
had  done  in  previous  years,  but  Monsieur  Bailly,  on 
entering,  only  made  a  deep  bow,  to  which  the  Queen 
responded  by  a  nod  of  the  head  which  was  not  very 
cordial.  He  delivered  a  short  address,  very  well 
written,  in  which  he  spoke  of  devotion,  of  attach- 

[89] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

ment  and  also  a  little  of  the  fear  of  the  people  re- 
garding the  shortage  of  food,  with  which  they  were 
menaced  every  day. 

Then  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  advanced  and  pre- 
sented the  Staff  of  the  National  Guard.  The  Queen 
turned  red,  and  I  saw  that  her  emotion  was  very 
great.  She  stammered  several  words  in  a  trembling 
voice  and  then  dismissed  them  with  a  nod  of  the 
head.  They  went  away  very  much  displeased  with 
her,  as  I  have  since  learned.  This  unfortunate 
Princess  never  considered  the  importance  of  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  she  found  herself.  She  was  in- 
fluenced by  the  feelings  of  the  moment,  without  con- 
sidering the  consequences.  These  ofllicers  of  the 
National  Guard,  whom  a  gracious  word  would  have 
won,  went  away  in  bad  humor  and  spread  their 
discontent  throughout  Paris.  All  this  increased  the 
ill-feeling  which  they  had  towards  the  Queen  and  of 
which  the  Due  d'Orleans  was  the  first  author. 

The  National  Guard  of  Versailles,  like  the  other 
troops  of  the  kingdom,  wished  to  have  flags,  and  it 
was  decided  that  these  should  be  solemnly  con- 
secrated at  Notre-Dame-de-Versailles.  A  deputation 
of  the  principal  officers,  with  Monsieur  d'Estaing  at 
their  head,  came  to  request  me  to  interest  myself 
in  the  ceremony  of  this  benediction.  If  any  one  had 
told  me,  at  the  time,  that  the  modest  Major  of  the 
National  Guard,  Berthier,  whose  father  was  steward 
of  the  War  Department,  would  become  the  Sovereign 
Prince  of  Neufchatel  and  that  he  would  wed  a  German 
Princess,  I  should  have  laughed  at  such  a  tale;  but 
we  have  seen  others  even  more  remarkable ! 

[90] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

I  was  present  at  this  very  brilliant  and  very  solemn 
ceremony  where  there  were  deputations  from  all  the 
military  corps  present  at  Versailles.  During  this 
high  mass,  which  was  very  long,  I  had  time  to 
reflect  upon  the  march  of  events.  Hardly  fourteen 
months  before,  I  had  been  present  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost in  the  Chapel  of  Versailles,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
chapter  of  the  cordons  bleus,  at  which  were  present 
the  King  and  all  the  Princes  of  the  Royal  House,  of 
whom  several  had  already  left  France. 

The  regiment  of  Flandre-Infanterie,  of  which  the 
Marquis  de  Lusignan,  a  Deputy,  was  Colonel,  had 
been  ordered  to  Versailles.  At  this  time  the  Gardes 
du  Corps  wished  to  offer  a  dinner  to  the  officers  of 
this  regiment  of  Flanders  and  to  those  of  the  National 
Guard.  They  requested  that  for  this  purpose  they 
should  be  allowed  to  use  the  large  Salle  des  Spectacles 
de  la  Cour,  at  the  end  of  the  gallery  of  the  Chapel. 
This  superb  hall  could  be  converted  into  a  ball-room  by 
placing  over  the  parterre  a  floor  on  a  level  with  the 
boxes,  and  the  permission  was  given  them.  The  dinner 
commenced  rather  late  and  the  theatre  was  brilliantly 
illuminated,  which  would  have  been  necessary  under 
any  circumstances,  as  there  were  no  windows. 

My  sister-in-law  and  I  went,  towards  the  end  of 
the  dinner,  to  view  the  scene  which  was  really  magni- 
ficent. Toasts  were  being  proposed,  and  my  husband, 
who  came  to  meet  us  and  to  conduct  us  to  one  of 
the  first  tier  boxes,  had  time  to  tell  us  very  low  that 
the  officers  were  very  much  excited  and  that  in- 
considerate words  had  been  uttered. 

C91] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

All  at  once  it  was  announced  that  the  King  and 
Queen  were  coming  to  the  banquet  —  a  very  im- 
prudent step  which  had  the  worst  possible  after- 
effect. The  sovereigns  appeared  in  a  box  with  the 
little  Dauphin  who  was  about  five  years  of  age. 
There  were  enthusiastic  cries  of:  "Vive  le  Roi!"  A 
Swiss  officer  approached  the  box  and  asked  the 
Queen  to  confide  to  him  the  Dauphin,  in  order  to 
make  the  round  of  the  hall.  She  consented  and  the 
poor  little  fellow  was  not  at  all  afraid.  The  ofllicer 
put  the  child  on  the  table  and  he  made  the  round 
very  boldly,  smiling  and  not  at  all  frightened  by  the 
cries  which  he  heard  around  him.  The  Queen  was 
not  so  calm,  and  when  the  child  was  brought  back 
to  her,  she  embraced  him  tenderly.  We  left  as  soon 
as  the  King  and  Queen  had  retired.  The  next  day 
the  opposition  journals,  of  which  several  were  al- 
ready in  existence,  did  not  fail  to  give  a  description 
of  the  "orgy"  at  Versailles. 

The  fourth  of  October  there  was  a  shortage  of 
bread  at  several  bakers  in  Paris  and  a  great  deal  of 
tumult.  One  of  these  bakers  was  hung,  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  of  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  and  the  National 
Guard.  Nevertheless,  at  Versailles  no  one  was 
alarmed.  They  thought  that  this  revolt  was  similar 
to  those  which  had  already  taken  place  and  that  the 
National  Guard,  of  whose  loyalty  they  felt  sure, 
would  be  able  to  control  the  people.  Several  messages 
which  came  to  the  King  and  to  the  President  of  the 
Chambers  were  so  reassuring  that  the  fifth  of  October, 
at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  King  set  out  for 

[92] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

the  iiunt  in  tlie  wood  of  Verrieres,  while  I  myself, 
after  dejeuner,  went  to  rej(jin  Mine,  de  Valence  who 
had  come  to  Versailles.  We  went  for  a  drive  in  the 
garden  of  Mme.  Elisabeth  at  the  end  of  the  Grande 
Avenue.  As  we  descended  from  the  carriage  to 
traverse  the  contre-allee,  we  saw  a  man  on  horse- 
back pass  near  us  at  full  gallop.  It  was  the  Due  de 
Maille,  who  cried  out  to  us:  "Paris  is  marching  here 
with  cannon!"  This  news  greatly  frightened  us,  and 
we  returned  at  once  to  Versailles,  where  the  alarm 
had  been  given. 

My  husband  had  gone  to  the  Assembly  without 
knowing  anything.  We  were  not  in  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  tumult  in  Paris; 
but  we  were  not  able  to  learn  anything  more,  be- 
cause the  gates  had  been  closed  and  no  one  was 
permitted  to  go  out.  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin, 
in  searching  in  the  corridors  for  a  person  with  whom 
he  wished  to  speak,  passed  behind  a  large  man  whom 
he  did  not  at  once  recognize,  who  was  saying:  "  Paris 
is  marching  here  with  twelve  pieces  of  cannon." 
This  personage  was  Mirabeau,  then  strongly  allied 
with  the  Due  d'Orleans.  My  husband  hastened  to 
his  father,  who  was  already  in  conference  with  the 
other  Ministers.  The  first  thing  that  they  did  was 
to  send  in  every  direction  where  they  thought  the 
hunt  might  have  led  the  King,  to  warn  him  to  return. 
My  husband  occupied  himself  in  assembling  the 
National  Guard,  in  whom  he  was  far  from  having 
confidence.  He  ordered  the  Flanders  Regiment  to 
take  their  arms  and  to  occupy  the  Place  d'Armes. 
The  Gardes  du  Corps  saddled  their  horses.  Couriers 

[93] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

were  sent  out  to  call  the  Swiss  from  Courbevoie. 
Messengers  were  sent  out  at  every  moment  on  the 
highway  to  obtain  news  of  what  was  going  on.  It 
was  learned  that  an  innumerable  mob  of  men  with 
many  women  were  marching  upon  Versailles;  that 
after  this  kind  of  advance  guard  came  the  National 
Guard  of  Paris  with  their  cannon,  followed  by  a  large 
troop  of  individuals  marching  without  order.  There 
was  no  longer  time  to  defend  the  bridge  of  Sevres. 
The  National  Guard  of  that  city  had  already  given 
it  up  to  the  women  and  had  fraternized  with  the 
Guard  of  Paris.  My  father-in-law  wished  to  send  the 
Flanders  Regiment  to  cut  off  the  road  from  Paris, 
but  the  National  Assembly  had  declared  itself  in  a 
permanent  session,  the  King  was  absent,  and  there 
was  no  one  present  to  take  the  initiative  in  any 
hostile  demonstration. 

During  this  time  the  drums  beat  the  call  to  as- 
semble the  National  Guard.  They  came  together  on 
the  Place  d'Armes  and  were  placed  in  battle  order 
with  their  backs  to  the  railing  of  the  Cour  Royale. 
The  Flanders  Regiment  had  its  left  wing  on  the 
Grande  Ecurie  and  its  right  on  the  railing.  The  post 
of  the  interior  of  the  Cour  Royale  and  that  of  the 
Chapel  were  occupied  by  the  Swiss,  of  whom  there 
was  always  a  strong  detachment  at  Versailles.  The 
gates  everywhere  were  closed.  All  the  outlets  of  the 
Chateau  were  barricaded,  and  the  doors,  which  had 
not  turned  on  their  hinges  since  the  days  of  Louis 
XIV,  were  closed  for  the  first  time. 

Finally,  at  about  three  o'clock,  the  King  and  his 
suite  arrived  at  full  gallop  by  the  Grande  Avenue. 

[94] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

This  unfortunate  Prince,  instead  of  stopping  and 
addressing  a  kind  word  to  this  fine  Flanders  Regi- 
ment, before  which  he  passed,  and  which  cried: 
"Vive  le  Roi!"  did  not  say  a  single  word  to  them. 
He  went  to  shut  himself  up  in  his  apartment,  from 
which  he  did  not  come  out.  The  National  Guard  of 
Versailles,  which  was  making  its  first  campaign,  com- 
menced to  murmur  and  to  declare  that  it  would  not 
fire  upon  the  people  of  Paris.  There  were  no  cannon  at 
Versailles. 

The  advance  guard  of  two  or  three  hundred  women 
commenced  to  arrive  and  to  spread  out  in  the  Avenue. 
Many  entered  the  Assembly  and  said  that  they  had 
come  to  look  for  bread  and  to  take  the  Deputies  to 
Paris.  Night  came  on,  and  several  gun  shots  were 
heard.  They  came  from  the  ranks  of  the  National 
Guard  and  were  directed  against  my  husband,  their 
commander,  whom  they  had  refused  to  obey,  by  re- 
maining at  their  post.  My  husband  escaped  by  a 
miracle  and,  realizing  the  fact  that  his  troop  had 
abandoned  him,  he  went  to  take  a  place  in  front  of 
the  Gardes  du  Corps,  who  were  drawn  up  in  battle 
order  near  the  Petite  Ecurie.  But  these  troops,  which 
comprised  only  the  company  of  Gramont,  were  so 
few  in  number  that  any  idea  of  defence  was  thought 
impossible. 

At  this  moment,  my  father-in-law  and  Monsieur 
de  Saint-Priest  offered  the  advice  that  the  King 
should  retire  to  Rambouillet  with  his  family  and 
await  there  any  propositions  which  might  be  made 
to  him  by  the  insurgents  of  Paris  and  by  the  National 
Assembly.  The  King  at  first  accepted  this  plan.  At 

[95] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

about  eight  or  nine  o'clock  a  company  of  the  Gardes 
du  Corps  was  ordered  to  the  Cour  Royale,  which 
they  entered  by  the  gate  of  the  Rue  de  la  Sur-In- 
tendance,  now  the  Rue  Gambetta.  From  here  they 
passed  by  the  Terrasse  de  I'Orangerie,  under  the 
windows  of  the  apartments  of  Queen  Marie-An- 
toinette, traversed  the  Little  Park  and  gained,  by 
the  Menagerie,  the  Grande  Route  to  Saint-Cyr. 
There  was  left  of  this  troop  at  Versailles  only  suf- 
ficient men  to  relieve  the  posts  in  the  apartments  of 
the  King  and  Queen.  The  Suisses  and  the  Cent- 
Suisses  guarded  their  own  posts. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  two  or  three  hundred 
women,  who  for  an  hour  had  been  hovering  around 
the  gates,  discovered  a  little  door  opening  upon  the 
Rue  du  Grand-Commun,  which  was  a  prolongation 
of  the  Rue  de  la  Chancellerie.  This  door  gave  access 
to  a  secret  staircase  which  ended  under  that  part  of 
the  building  where  we  had  our  quarters  in  the  Cour 
des  Ministres.  Some  traitor  had  probably  shown 
them  this  entrance.  They  entered  in  a  crowd,  knock- 
ing down  the  Swiss  guard  posted  at  the  top  of  the 
stairway,  then  spread  through  the  court  and  gained 
the  quarters  of  the  four  Ministers  which  were  located 
in  this  part  of  the  building.  My  husband  returned  at 
this  moment  to  bring  news  to  his  sister  and  myself. 
Very  much  disturbed  to  find  us  in  such  bad  company, 
he  accompanied  us  into  the  Chateau.  My  sister-in- 
law  had  taken  the  precaution  of  sending  her  children 
to  the  house  of  a  deputy,  one  of  our  friends,  who  was 
lodged  in  the  city.  Guided  by  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin,  we  ascended  to  the  Gallery  where  we  found 

C96] 


BABONNE    DK    «.TAtl.HOLSTF.lS 
1766  -    161V 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

already  gathered  a  number  of  persons  living  in  the 
Chateau,  who  had  come  from  their  apartments  to  be 
nearer  the  source  of  news. 

During  this  time  the  King,  still  hesitating  as  to 
what  decision  to  make,  was  no  longer  willing  to  de- 
part for  Rambouillet.  He  consulted  everybody.  The 
Queen,  equally  undecided,  could  not  make  up  her 
mind  to  this  flight  by  night.  My  father-in-law  went 
down  on  his  knees  to  the  King  to  implore  him  to  put 
himself  and  his  family  in  a  place  of  security.  The 
Ministers  would  have  remained  to  treat  with  the 
insurgents  and  the  Assembly.  But  the  King,  repeat- 
ing continually,  "I  do  not  wish  to  compromise  any 
one,"  thus  lost  a  precious  period  of  time.  At  one  time 
it  was  thought  that  he  was  going  to  yield,  and  the 
order  was  given  to  prepare  the  carriages  for  de- 
parture. For  two  hours  they  had  been  ready  waiting 
in  the  Grande  Ecurie.  No  one  seemed  to  think 
that  the  people  of  Versailles  would  oppose  the  de- 
parture of  the  Royal  family.  This,  however,  is  what 
happened.  The  moment  that  the  crowd  of  people 
from  Paris  and  Versailles  who  were  assembled  on  the 
Place  d'Armes  saw  the  gate  of  the  court  of  the 
Grande  Ecurie  opened,  there  was  a  unanimous  cry 
of  fear  and  fury:  "Le  roi  s'en  va!"  At  the  same  mo- 
ment they  rushed  upon  the  carriages,  cut  the  harness 
and  led  the  horses  back,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to 
bring  word  to  the  Chateau  that  the  departure  was 
impossible.  My  father-in-law  and  Monsieur  de  Saint- 
Priest  then  offered  our  carriages,  which  were  hitched 
up  outside  the  railing  of  the  Orangerie,  but  the  King 
and  the  Queen  rejected  this  proposition,  and  every 

[97] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

one,  discouraged,  frightened  and  fearing  the  greatest 
misfortunes,  remained  in  silence  and  suspense. 

In  this  Gallery,  witness  of  all  the  splendors  of  the 
monarchy  since  Louis  XIV,  every  one  walked  up  and 
down  without  exchanging  a  word.  The  Queen  re- 
mained in  her  room  with  Mme.  Elisabeth,  the  sister 
of  Louis  XVI,  and  the  wife  of  the  Comte  de  Provence. 
The  Salon  de  Jeu,  hardly  lighted,  was  full  of  women 
who  were  talking  in  low  tones  —  some  seated  on 
stools  and  others  upon  the  tables.  As  for  myself,  my 
agitation  was  so  great  that  I  could  not  remain  for  a 
moment  in  the  same  place.  Every  few  minutes  I 
went  to  the  ceil-de-bosuf ,  from  which  one  could  see 
those  who  entered  and  who  came  out  of  the  King's 
apartment,  in  the  hope  of  encountering  my  husband 
or  my  father-in-law  and  of  learning  from  them  some 
news.  The  wait  to  me  seemed  intolerable. 

Finally  at  midnight,  my  husband,  who  had  been 
in  the  court  for  some  time,  came  to  announce  that 
Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  had  arrived  before  the  gate 
of  the  Cour  des  Ministres,  with  the  National  Guard 
of  Paris,  and  requested  to  speak  with  the  King.  He 
added  that  a  part  of  this  Guard,  composed  of  the 
former  Regiment  des  Gardes,  was  manifesting  much 
impatience  and  that  the  least  delay  might  lead  to 
trouble  and  even  danger. 

The  King  then  said:  "Have  Monsieur  de  La  Fa- 
yette come  up."  In  an  instant  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  was  at  the  gate,  and  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette, 
dismounting  from  his  horse,  and  so  fatigued  that  he 
was  hardly  able  to  stand  upright,  ascended  to  the 
King's  apartment  accompanied  by  seven  or  eight 

[98] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED    HY  THE   MOB 

persons,  mostly  from  his  staff.  Very  much  moved  he 
addressed  the  King  in  tliese  terms:  "Sire,  j'ai  pense 
qu'il  valait  mieux  venir  ici,  mourir  aux  pieds  de  Votre 
Majeste,  que  de  perir  inutilement  sur  la  Place  de 
Greve."  To  these  words  the  King  replied:  "Que 
veulent-ils  done?"  La  Fayette  said:  "Le  peuple 
demande  du  pain,  et  la  Garde  desire  reprendre  ses 
anciens  postes  aupres  de  Votre  Majeste."  The  King 
said:  "Well,  let  them  do  so." 

These  words  were  immediately  reported  to  me.  My 
husband  descended  with  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette, 
and  the  National  Guard  of  Paris,  composed  almost 
exclusively  of  the  Gardes  Fran(;:aises,  resumed  at 
once  their  former  posts.  Thus  it  happened  that  at 
every  outer  door  where  there  had  been  a  Swiss 
guard,  a  member  of  the  Guard  of  Paris  was  posted, 
and  the  rest,  made  up  of  several  hundred  men,  were 
sent  to  bivouac,  as  usual,  upon  the  Place  d'Armes, 
in  a  long  building  comprising  several  large  halls 
constructed  and  painted  in  the  form  of  tents. 

During  this  time  the  people  of  Paris  had  left  the 
vicinity  of  the  Chateau  and  had  dispersed  in  the  city 
and  the  cabarets.  The  women,  who  had  invaded  the 
offices  of  the  Ministry,  were  sleeping  everywhere  on 
the  floor.  The  principal  leaders  of  the  women  had 
taken  refuge  in  the  hall  of  the  National  Assembly 
where  they  remained  during  the  night  mingled  with 
the  Deputies,  who  were  being  relieved  in  order  to 
keep  up  the  permanent  session. 

I  think  that  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette,  after  having 
established  his  posts  of  the  National  Guard,  went  to 
the  Assembly,  whence  he  returned  to  the  Chateau 

[99] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

with  Mme.  de  Poix,  whose  quarters  were  near  the 
chapel  in  the  gallery  of  that  name.  As  for  Monsieur 
d'Estaing,  he  had  not  appeared  during  the  whole  day 
and  had  remained  in  the  cabinet  of  the  King,  taking 
no  more  responsibility  for  the  National  Guard  of 
Versailles  than  as  if  he  had  not  been  their  com- 
mander-in-chief. Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  had 
brought  together  a  small  number  of  the  officers  of 
his  staff,  upon  whom  he  thought  he  could  count, 
among  whom  was  Major  Berthier.  But  the  majority 
of  the  officers  at  this  advanced  hour  had  retired  to 
their  own  quarters  or  to  the  houses  of  persons  of 
their  acquaintance. 

The  King,  to  whom  they  had  reported  that  the 
most  absolute  calm  reigned  at  Versailles,  which  at 
that  moment  was  really  true,  dismissed  all  the  persons 
who  were  still  present  in  the  ceil-de-hceuj  or  in  his 
cabinet.  The  ushers  came  to  the  Gallery  to  tell  the 
ladies  who  were  still  there  that  the  Queen  had  retired. 
The  doors  were  closed,  the  candles  extinguished,  and 
my  husband  escorted  us  back  to  the  apartment  of  my 
aunt,  which  was  situated  above  the  Galerie  des 
Princes,  at  the  top  of  the  south  wing  of  the  Chateau. 
He  did  not  wish  to  take  us  back  to  our  rooms  in  the 
Ministry  on  account  of  the  women  who  were  sleeping 
in  the  antechambers  and  who  caused  us  great  disgust. 

After  having  placed  us  in  security  in  this  apart- 
ment, he  redescended  to  find  his  father  and  pray 
him  to  go  to  bed,  saying  that  he  himself  would 
watch  during  the  night.  He  went  to  his  room  to  put 
on  an  overcoat  over  his  uniform,  for  the  night  was 
cold    and    damp;    then,    taking   a    round    hat,    he 

[  loo] 


VERSAILLES  INVADED    BY  THE   MOB 

descended  to  the  court  and  proceeded  to  visit  the 
posts.  He  went  through  the  courts,  the  passages  and 
the  garden  to  assure  himself  that  it  was  quiet  every- 
where. He  did  not  hear  the  least  noise,  either  around 
the  Chateau  or  in  the  adjacent  streets.  The  different 
posts  were  relieved  with  vigilance,  and  the  guard 
which  was  installed  in  the  large  tent  upon  the  Place 
d'Armes,  and  which  had  placed  the  cannon  in  form 
of  battery  before  the  gate,  was  performing  its  service 
with  the  same  regularity  as  before  the  14  July. 

Such  is  the  exact  account  of  what  passed  at  Ver- 
sailles the  fifth  of  October. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  having  heard  noth- 
ing of  a  nature  to  lead  him  to  fear  the  least  disorder, 
returned  after  his  nocturnal  round  to  the  office  of 
the  Minister  of  War  in  the  south  wing  of  the  Cour 
des  Ministres.  However,  instead  of  going  to  the 
cabinet  or  to  his  room,  which,  like  my  own,  faced 
the  Rue  du  Grand-Commun,  he  remained  in  the  din- 
ing-room and  placed  himself  at  a  window  to  have  the 
air  for  fear  of  going  to  sleep.  It  is  well  to  explain  here 
that  the  Cour  des  Princes  was  then  closed  by  a  gate 
near  which  was  stationed  a  garde  du  corps,  for  here 
was  the  first  post  of  the  guard  of  the  King's  person, 
a  service  which  particularly  devolved  upon  the  Gardes 
du  Corps  and  the  Cent-Suisses.  In  the  interior  of 
this  little  court  there  was  a  passage  which  communi- 
cated with  the  Cour  Royale.  This  had  been  arranged 
so  as  to  enable  the  Gardes  du  Corps,  who  were 
stationed  in  the  Cour  Royale  at  the  corner  of  the 
Cour  Marbre,  when  the  posts  were  changed,  to  go 
out  by  the  gate  at  the  middle  of  the  Cour  Royale 

[lOl] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

and  reenter  by  that  of  the  Cour  des  Princes.  It  will 
be  seen  in  a  moment  how  necessary  the  knowledge 
of  this  passageway  was  to  the  assassins. 

Day  was  commencing  to  break.  It  was  almost  six 
o'clock,  and  the  most  profound  silence  reigned  in  the 
court.  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  leaning  out  of 
the  window,  thought  he  heard  the  steps  of  a  great 
crowd  of  people  which  seemed  to  ascend  the  rampe 
that  led  to  the  Cour  des  Ministres,  from  the  Rue  de  la 
Sur-Intendance.  Then,  to  his  great  surprise,  he  saw  a 
mob  of  miserable  creatures  enter  by  the  gate,  al- 
though it  had  been  closed  and  locked.  The  key  had 
been  obtained  by  an  act  of  treason.  The  crowd  was 
armed  with  axes  and  sabres.  At  the  same  moment 
my  husband  heard  a  gun-shot.  During  the  time  that 
he  took  to  descend  the  stairway  and  to  have  the  door 
ot  the  Ministry  opened,  the  assassins  had  killed 
Monsieur  de  Vallori,  the  garde  du  corps  posted  at 
the  gate  of  the  Cour  des  Princes,  and  had  rushed 
through  the  passage  of  which  I  have  just  spoken  to 
fall  upon  the  Corps  de  Garde  of  the  Cour  Royale. 
Some  of  the  crowd,  who  were  not  more  than  two 
hundred  in  number,  rushed  to  the  marble  stair- 
case, while  another  part  hurled  themselves  upon  the 
garde  du  corps  whom  his  comrades  had  abandoned 
without  defence.  This  unfortunate  man,  after  having 
fired  one  shot,  with  which  he  killed  the  nearest  of  his 
assailants,  was  immediately  cut  down  by  the  others. 
This  task  accomplished,  the  invaders  rushed  to  rejoin 
the  other  part  of  the  band  which,  at  this  moment, 
had  forced  aside  the  guard  of  the  Cent-Suisses  posted 
at  the  top  of  the  marble  staircase. 

[102] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

The  proof  that  no  extra  precautions  had  been 
taken,  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  assassins,  arrived 
at  the  top  of  the  staircase,  and  certainly  guided  by 
some  one  who  knew  the  route  to  follow,  turned  into 
the  Queen's  Guardroom  and  fell  suddenly  upon  the 
only  guard  who  was  posted  in  this  place.  This  guard 
rushed  to  the  door  of  the  Queen's  bed-chamber, 
which  was  closed  on  the  inside,  and  having  rapped 
several  times  with  the  cross  of  his  mousqueton,  he 
cried:  "Madame,  save  yourself!  They  are  coming  to 
kill  you!"  Then,  resolved  to  sell  his  life  dearly,  he 
placed  his  back  against  the  door,  discharged  his 
mousqueton,  and  defended  himself  by  his  sabre,  but 
was  quickly  cut  down  by  these  miserable  creatures 
who  fortunately  had  no  fire-arms.  He  fell  against  the 
door,  and  his  body  hindered  the  assassins  from  break- 
ing it  in.  His  body  was  pushed  aside  into  the  embra- 
sure of  the  window,  which  saved  his  life. 

During  this  time  my  sister-in-law  and  I  were  sleep- 
ing in  one  of  the  apartments  of  my  aunt,  Mme. 
d'Henin.  My  fatigue  was  so  great  that  my  sister-in- 
law  had  considerable  trouble  in  awakening  me.  As 
neither  of  us  was  undressed,  we  both  rushed  to  the 
room  of  my  aunt,  which  looked  out  upon  the  park, 
and  where  she  was  unable  to  hear  anything.  Her  fright 
was  equal  to  our  own.  We  immediately  called  our 
servants.  Before  they  were  awakened,  my  good  and 
devoted  Marguerite  came  running  to  us,  pale  as 
death,  and  tumbling  upon  the  first  chair,  she  cried: 
*'Ah!  mon  Dieu!  nous  allons  tous  etre  massacres." 
This  exclamation  was  far  from  reassuring  us. 

Marguerite  stated  that  she  had  left  her  room  with 

C 103  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  intention  of  coming  to  ascertain  whether  I  had 
need  of  her  services,  but  in  descending  the  stair- 
case, she  had  discovered  a  large  number  of  very 
ordinary  people  and  had  seen  arriving  a  Monsieur, 
with  boots  covered  with  mud,  and  a  whip  in  his  hand, 
who  was  no  other  than  the  Due  d'Orleans,  whom  she 
recognized  perfectly,  as  she  had  often  seen  him;  fur- 
thermore, that  these  miserable  creatures  surrounded 
him  and  showed  their  joy  at  seeing  him  by  crying: 
*'Vive  notre  roi  d'Orleans!" 

Marguerite  had  hardly  finished  this  moving  recital 
when  my  husband  arrived.  He  told  us  that  on  seeing 
the  assassins  penetrate  into  the  Cour  Royale,  he  had 
immediately  rushed  to  the  grand'garde  stationed 
upon  the  Place  d'Armes  to  have  the  drums  beat  the 
alarm.  We  also  learned  from  him  that  the  Queen  had 
been  able  to  save  herself  by  going  to  the  King's 
apartment  through  a  little  passage,  arranged  under 
the  room  known  as  the  (Eil-de-Bceuf,  which  formed  the 
means  of  communication  between  her  bedroom  and 
that  of  the  King.  He  persuaded  us  to  leave  my  aunt's 
apartment,  which  was  too  near,  in  his  opinion,  to 
those  of  the  King  and  Queen,  and  counselled  us  to 
rejoin  Mme.  de  Simaine,  who  was  lodged  near  the 
Orangerie.  The  Abbe  de  Damas  came  to  find  us  and 
conduct  us  there. 

At  the  end  of  two  hours,  which  seemed  to  me 
centuries,  my  husband  sent  a  valet  de  chambre  to 
inform  me  that  they  were  leading  the  King  and 
Queen  to  Paris,  that  the  Ministers,  the  Administra- 
tion and  the  National  Assembly  were  quitting  Ver- 
sailles, where  he  himself  had  the  order  to  remain  to 

[104] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

save  the  Chateau  from  pillage  after  the  departure  of 
the  King.  He  added  that  for  this  purpose  they  were 
leaving  him  a  Swiss  battalion,  the  National  Guard  of 
Versailles,  of  which  the  commander-in-chief,  Mon- 
sieur d'Estaing,  had  sent  in  his  resignation,  and  a 
battalion  of  the  National  Guard  of  Paris.  For  the 
moment  he  forbade  me  absolutely  to  issue  from  my 
refuge.  I  remained  alone  for  several  hours,  as  my 
aunt  had  gone  to  Mme.  de  Poix,  who  was  also 
leaving  for  Paris,  and  my  sister-in-law  had  left  me 
to  go  in  search  of  her  children  and  her  husband. 
He  had  just  arrived  from  Henencourt  and  wished  to 
have  her  leave  at  once  for  the  country.  I  do  not 
think  that  I  ever  in  my  life  passed  hours  more 
cruel  than  those  of  this  morning.  The  death-cries 
by  which  I  had  been  awakened  still  resounded  in  my 
ears.  The  least  noise  made  me  tremble.  My  imagina- 
tion conjured  up  all  the  dangers  which  my  husband 
could  run.  My  maid.  Marguerite,  who  could  have 
encouraged  me,  was  also  absent.  She  had  returned 
to  the  Ministry  to  assist  my  servants  in  packing  our 
effects,  which  were  to  go  to  Paris  by  the  wagons  of 
my  father-in-law. 

About  three  o'clock  Mme.  d'Henin  returned  to 
look  for  me  and  announced  that  the  sad  cortege  had 
set  out  for  Paris,  the  carriage  of  the  King  preceded 
by  the  heads  of  the  Gardes  du  Corps,  which  their 
assassins  were  carrying  on  the  ends  of  their  pikes. 

In  getting  into  his  carriage,  Louis  XVI  had  said 
to  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin:  *'Vous  restez 
maitre  ici.  Tachez  de  me  sauver  mon  pauvre  Ver- 
sailles." This  injunction  was  equivalent  to  an  order, 

C105] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

which  he  was  firmly  resolved  to  obey.  He  took 
measures  to  carry  out  this  order  with  the  com- 
mander of  the  battalion  of  the  National  Guard  of 
Paris  who  had  been  left  with  him  —  a  man  who  was 
very  determined  and  who  showed  the  best  good- 
will —  this  was  Santerre! 

I  left  my  refuge  with  my  aunt  and  returned  to  the 
Ministry.  A  frightful  solitude  then  reigned  at  Ver- 
sailles. The  only  noise  which  was  heard  in  the 
Chateau  was  that  of  the  doors,  the  blinds  and  the 
window-shutters  which  were  being  closed  for  the  first 
time  since  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  My  husband  made 
all  arrangements  for  the  defence  of  the  Chateau, 
being  convinced  that  as  soon  as  night  arrived,  the 
strange  and  sinister  figures  which  he  saw  roaming 
around  the  streets  and  the  courts  would  come  to- 
gether to  pillage  the  Chateau.  Alarmed  for  my  safety, 
in  view  of  the  disorder  which  he  foresaw,  he  insisted 
that  I  should  leave  with  my  aunt. 

We  were  not  willing  to  go  to  Paris,  because  of  the 
fear  that  the  gates  would  be  closed  upon  us  and 
that  I  would  find  myself  separated  from  my  husband 
v/ithout  the  power  of  rejoining  him.  My  wish  would 
have  been  to  remain  at  Versailles,  as,  near  to  my 
husband,  I  had  no  fear.  But  he  said  that  my  presence 
would  paralyze  the  efforts  which  it  was  his  duty  to 
make  to  show  himself  worthy  of  the  King's  con- 
fidence. Finally  he  persuaded  me  to  set  out  for  Saint- 
Germain  and  to  await  events  in  the  apartment  of 
Monsieur  de  Lally,  at  the  Chateau.  This  apartment 
was  that  of  my  family,  which  my  great-aunt.  Mile. 
Dillon,  had  left  him  entirely  furnished. 

[106] 


VERSAILLES   INVADED   BY  THE   MOB 

We  made  the  trip  in  a  wretched  cariole,  my  aunt 
and  I,  accompanied  by  a  femme  de  chambre,  origi- 
nally from  Saint-Germain.  The  horses  and  carriages 
of  my  father-in-law  had  been  sent  to  Paris,  and  it 
was  impossible  to  find  at  Versailles  any  other  means 
of  transport,  no  matter  what  sum  was  offered.  The 
trip  took  us  three  long  hours. 


[  107] 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN 

1789-1790 
VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

Residence  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  Paris. —  The  Minister 
of  War  at  the  Hotel  de  Choiseul. —  Birth  of  Humbert. — 
Kindness  of  the  Queen  for  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  The 
Fete  of  the  Federation. —  The  Garrison  of  Paris. —  Com- 
position of  the  National  Guard. —  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette. 

—  Talleyrand,  Bishop  of  Autun. —  The  Spectacle  at  the 
Champ-de-Mars. —  The  Royal  Family. —  Excursion  to 
Switzerland. —  An  Adventure  at  Dole. —  Four  Days  of 
Captivity.—  Departure  from  Dole. —  The  Lake  of  Geneva. 

—  Revolt  of  the  Garrison  of  Nancy. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  Sent  as  Parlementaire. —  Suppression  of  the  Revolt. 

—  Sojourn  at  Lausanne. —  Return  to  Paris  via  Alsace. 

AT  the  end  of  two  weeks  I  left  for  Paris  where 
I  stayed  with  my  aunt,  Rue  de  Verneuil, 
until  the  Hotel  de  Choiseul,  which  had  been 
set  apart  for  the  War  Department,  was  ready.  My 
father-in-law  was  temporarily  quartered  in  a  house 
which  belonged,  I  think,  to  the  Menus  plaisirs  near 
the  Louvre.  Every  day  I  went  there  to  dine  with 
him  and  to  do  the  honors  of  his  salon. 

My  aunt  had  persuaded  Monsieur  Lally,  over 
whom  she  exercised  an  absolute  control,  to  abandon 
the  National  Assembly  after  the  Revolution  of  the 
sixth  of  October.  She  also  forced  him  to  leave  France 
with    Monsieur    Mounier.    They    both    retired    to 

[io8] 


VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

Switzerland.  This  was  a  very  false  move.  It  was  to 
desert  their  post  on  the  eve  of  battle.  However  this 
may  be,  she  followed  M.  Lally  to  Switzerland,  and 
it  was  at  this  time  that  she  persuaded  him  to  marry 
his  former  mistress,  Miss  Halkett,  niece  of  Lord 
Loughborough,  who  was  then  Lord  Chancellor  of 
England.  It  was  only  for  the  purpose  of  legitimatizing 
the  daughter  whom  he  had  had  by  this  woman  several 
years  before,  that  he  decided  to  espouse  her,  for  he 
had  for  her  neither  esteem  nor  love.  But  at  the  mo- 
ment of  leaving  Lausanne  to  rejoin  Miss  Halkett  at 
Turin,  he  was  taken  ill  with  a  terrible  attack  of 
smallpox,  of  which  he  nearly  died.  The  marriage 
was  therefore  adjourned  and  did  not  take  place 
until  the  following  year. 

At  the  beginning  of  winter  we  went  to  take  up 
our  quarters  at  the  Hotel  de  Choiseul.  It  was  a 
superb  mansion,  in  which  I  had  a  charming  apart- 
ment entirely  distinct  from  that  of  my  father-in- 
law,  with  which  it  was  connected,  however,  by  a 
door  into  one  of  the  salons.  A  fine  separate  stair- 
case led  to  my  quarters,  which  were  like  a  separate 
house,  with  a  view  upon  the  gardens,  which  today 
are  all  built  up.  My  husband,  who  was  entrusted  by 
his  father  with  many  important  matters,  was  very 
much  occupied.  I  saw  him  only  at  luncheon  which 
we  took  together,  and  at  dinner. 

My  father-in-law  ceased  to  give  large  dinners 
when  we  were  at  Paris.  The  dinner  hour  was  four 
o'clock.  An  hour  after  dinner,  after  having  chatted 
in  the  salon  with  several  persons  who  came  for 
coffee,   according  to  the   custom  at  Versailles,   my 

C  109  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

father-in-law  returned  to  his  cabinet.  I  then  went 
back  to  my  own  apartment,  whence  I  went  out  to 
take  part  in  social  functions. 

On  arriving  in  Paris  the  Queen  had  given  up  her 
theatre  boxes,  and  this  act  of  spite,  which  was 
natural  but  also  very  ill-advised,  had  still  further 
turned  the  Parisians  against  her.  This  unfortunate 
Princess  had  no  tact,  or  did  not  wish  to  employ  it. 
She  openly  showed  her  dislike  to  those  whose  presence 
displeased  her.  In  giving  way  in  this  manner  to  feel- 
ings of  which  she  did  not  weigh  the  consequences 
she  injured  the  interests  of  the  King.  Although  en- 
dowed with  great  courage,  she  had  very  little  esprit, 
no  address,  and,  above  all,  a  lack  of  confidence, 
generally  unwarranted,  with  regard  to  those  who 
were  the  most  disposed  to  serve  her.  After  the  sixth 
of  October,  failing  to  appreciate  that  the  terrible 
danger  which  had  menaced  her  was  the  result  of  a" 
plot  woven  by  the  Due  d'Orleans,  she  let  her  resent- 
ment fall  upon  all  of  the  inhabitants  of  Paris  in- 
discriminately and  avoided  every  occasion  to  appear 
in  public. 

I  missed  very  much  the  privilege  of  using  the 
Queen's  boxes,  and,  fearing  the  crowd,  I  was  not 
present  at  any  performances  during  the  winter  of 
1789  and  1790.  I  often  brought  together  eight  or 
ten  persons  in  my  apartment  for  little  suppers,  in 
which  my  father-in-law  did  not  take  part,  for  he 
retired  at  an  early  hour  and  arose  very  early  in  the 
morning. 

It  was  during  the  first  months  of  1790  that  the 
demagogues  employed  all   their  means   to  corrupt 

[no] 


VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

the  Army.  Every  day  bad  news  was  received,  and 
my  poor  father-in-law  was  nearly  overwhelmed  with 
the  labor  caused  by  these  reports.  Many  officers  left 
France  without  leave,  and  this  example  of  indis- 
cipline, of  which  the  other  officers  took  advantage, 
encouraged  the  revolt. 

The  nineteenth  of  May  was  born  my  eldest  son, 
who  was  baptised  in  the  Parish  of  Saint-Eustache 
and  received  the  name  of  Humbert.  My  aunt,  Mme. 
d'Henin,  who  had  come  from  Switzerland,  was  the 
godmother,  and  my  father-in-law  was  the  godfather. 

At  Paris  the  Court  was  still  conducted  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  customs  of  Versailles,  with  the 
exception  of  the  mass,  which  had  been  abandoned. 
Dinner  was  served  as  at  Versailles.  As  soon  as  I  was 
able  to  leave  the  house,  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  Queen, 
in  full  costume,  and  was  received  by  her  with  great 
"kindness.  In  leaving  for  Switzerland,  Mme.  d'Henin 
had  resigned  her  position,  and  the  question  came  up 
as  to  whether  I  should  take  her  place  in  the  Queen's 
service.  The  Queen,  however,  was  not  in  favor  of 
this,  because  there  was  already  talk  of  appointing 
my  husband  Minister  to  Holland,  and  as  I  would 
naturally  accompany  him,  the  Queen  did  not  think 
it  was  worth  while,  if  my  service  was  to  be  interrupted 
so  soon.  "Besides,"  said  she,  "who  knows  that  I 
may  not  expose  you  to  dangers  like  those  of  the  fifth 
of  October.?" 

I  no  longer  recall  the  reasons  which  inspired  the 
idea  of  having  all  the  military  corps  of  the  State 
fraternize,  as  they  called  it  then,  by  sending  to  Paris 

[in] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  oldest  of  each  grade  to  be  present  the  fourteenth 
of  July,  the  anniversary  of  the  taking  of  the  Bastille. 
The  National  Guards,  which  had  been  organized 
throughout  the  kingdom  during  the  year,  were  to 
send  deputations  composed  of  the  officers  of  the 
highest  rank.  The  preparatory  work  for  receiving 
them  was  begun  at  the  end  of  June.  The  Champ-de- 
Mars,  facing  the  Ecole  Militaire,  at  this  time  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  a  well-levelled  lawn,  on 
which  were  held  the  exercises  of  the  pupils  of  the 
school  and  the  manoeuvres  of  the  regiments  of  the 
Gardes  Fran^aises. 

At  that  time  there  was  no  garrison,  either  at  Paris 
or  in  the  environs.  The  Gardes  Fran^aises  were  the 
only  body  of  troops  in  the  city,  and  their  number  did 
not  exceed,  I  think,  two  thousand  men  at  the  most. 
They  furnished  a  detachment  at  Versailles  which 
was  changed  every  week.  At  Courbevoie  there  was 
quartered  the  regiment  of  Swiss  Guards,  which  was 
never  seen  at  Paris.  The  Gardes  du  Corps  were  com- 
posed of  four  companies,  of  which  only  one  was  in 
service  at  Versailles.  The  others  occupied  the  neigh- 
boring cities:  Chartres,  Beauvais  and  Saint-Germain. 
No  other  body  of  troops  ever  appeared  either  at 
Versailles  or  at  Paris,  where  the  only  uniforms  you 
saw  were  those  of  the  sergents  recruteurs  for  the 
different  regiments. 

My  husband  had  been  instructed  by  his  father  to 
look  after  all  the  deputations  and  to  arrange  for 
their  board  and  lodging,  as  well  as  their  amusements, 
for  all  the  theatres  had  orders  to  reserve  free  places 
for  the  old  soldiers  and  boxes  for  the  officers.  A  large 

[112] 


ID) '  Iffl  IH  X 

i719    -    16  2  6 


VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

number  were  lodged  in  the  Invalides  and  the  Ecole 
Militaire.  The  people  of  Paris  took  part  enthusi- 
astically in  the  work  undertaken  at  the  Champ-de- 
Mars.  All  was  finished  in  two  weeks. 

Finally  on  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  of  July, 
my  sister-in-law,  who  had  just  arrived  at  Paris,  and 
myself  went  to  take  up  our  quarters  at  the  Ecole 
Militaire,  in  a  little  apartment  looking  out  upon  the 
Champ-de-Mars,  so  as  to  be  on  hand  the  following 
morning.  My  father-in-law  had  sent  in  a  fine  repast, 
and  provisions,  so  as  to  offer  a  substantial  dejeuner 
to  the  soldiers  who  might  have  the  intention  of  com- 
ing to  see  us  during  the  ceremony.  This  precaution 
was  all  the  more  necessary,  because  at  the  Tuileries 
they  had  forgotten  to  bring  anything  for  the  King's 
children,  and  the  Dauphin  was  very  glad  to  share  our 
collation.  The  poor  little  Prince  wore  the  uniform  of 
the  National  Guard,  to  which  nearly  every  one  at 
that  time  belonged.  In  society  all  the  men  under 
fifty  years  of  age  had  had  their  names  inscribed,  and 
performed  very  faithfully  their  service. 

Monsieur  de  La  Fayette,  who  has  been  so  much 
condemned,  did  not  then  think  of  a  republic  for 
France,  whatever  may  have  been  the  ideas  as  to 
this  kind  of  government  that  he  had  brought  back 
from  America.  He  desired  as  much  as  any  of  us  the 
establishment  of  a  wise  liberty  and  the  abolition  of 
abuses,  but  I  am  certain  that  he  had  not  at  that  time 
the  least  idea  or  desire  of  overturning  the  throne, 
and  that  he  never  had  such  a  thought.  The  unbounded 
hatred  which  the  Queen  had  for  him,  and  which  she 
showed    every    time    that    she    dared,    nevertheless 

[113] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

caused  him  as  much  chagrin  as  was  possible  in  the 
case  of  a  character  which  was  soft  even  to  fooHshness. 
Yet  La  Fayette  was  not  weak,  as  his  conduct  under 
the  Empire  has  well  proved.  He  resisted  all  the  ap- 
proaches, all  the  offers  and  even  the  cajolery  of 
Napoleon.  The  Restoration  showed  itself  very  unjust 
towards  him.  The  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  had  in- 
herited from  her  mother  the  hatred  which  the  Queen 
bore  him. 

But  to  return  to  the  Federation  of  1790.  The  altar 
had  been  erected  in  the  Champ-de-Mars,  and  a  mass 
was  celebrated  by  the  least  respectable  of  the  French 
priests.  The  Abbe  de  Perigord,  since  Prince  Talley- 
rand, had  been  designated  as  Bishop  of  Autun  when 
Monsieur  Marboeuf  was  transferred  to  the  diocese 
of  Lyon.  The  King,  however,  justly  offended  by  his 
ecclesiastical  conduct,  refused  to  confirm  the  appoint- 
ment. In  this  refusal  the  King  showed  a  firmness 
very  different  from  his  ordinary  character,  but 
aroused  on  this  occasion  by  his  conscience.  However, 
when  the  Comte  de  Talleyrand,  father  of  the  Abbe, 
was  upon  his  deathbed  and  demanded  as  a  last 
favor  this  appointment,  which  the  King  had  previ- 
ously refused,  he  no  longer  made  any  opposition, 
and  the  Abbe  de  Perigord  was  appointed  Bishop  of 
Autun.  It  was  he  who  celebrated  the  mass  of  the 
Federation  of  1790. 

No  words  can  give  any  idea  of  this  pageant.  The 
troops,  arranged  in  order  in  the  middle  of  the  arena, 
the  multitude  of  different  uniforms,  mingled  with 
those  of  the  National  Guard,  brilliant  from  their 
newness,  —  all  this  constituted  one  of  the  most  sur- 

C114] 


VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

prising  spectacles  which  you  could  possibly  see,  and 
which  I  enjoyed  from  the  windows  of  the  Ecole 
Militaire,  where  I  was  located.  In  front  of  the  middle 
balcony  had  been  constructed  a  fine  tribune,  highly 
decorated.  The  unfortunate  Royal  family  this  day 
comprised  the  King,  the  Queen,  their  two  children, 
Mme.  Elisabeth,  the  sister  of  the  King,  and  the 
Comte  and  Comtesse  de  Provence.  As  I  was  still 
very  weak,  I  did  not  descend  to  the  Royal  tribune. 
Nevertheless,  I  was  near  the  Queen  when  she  passed, 
and,  accustomed  for  a  long  time  to  the  expression  of 
her  face,  I  saw  that  she  was  making  great  efforts 
to  conceal  her  ill-humor,  without  succeeding  well 
enough  either  for  her  own  interests  or  for  those  of 
the  King. 

Towards  the  end  of  July,  1790,  my  health  was 
quite  well  reestablished.  My  aunt  wished  to  return 
to  Lausanne,  and  my  husband,  knowing  my  desire 
to  see  Switzerland,  gave  me  permission  to  make  a 
trip  of  six  weeks.  Mme.  de  Valence  was  at  this  time 
at  Secheron,  near  Geneva,  with  Mme.  de  Montesson, 
who  passed  the  summer  there.  It  was  arranged  that 
I  should  join  her  and  pass  some  time  with  her  in  a 
little  house  which  was  separate  from  that  of  my  aunt. 
I  left  my  son  with  his  nurse  and  Marguerite  at  the 
Hotel  de  la  Guerre.  As  my  maid  could  not  accompany 
me,  I  took  with  me  only  one  servant.  I  travelled  by  a 
little  chaise  de  poste,  for  caleches  were  not  then  known. 

My  aunt  and  I  were  furnished  with  all  possible 
passports  for  the  civil  authorities,  as  well  as  for  the 
National  Guards  and   the  military  authorities.  An 

C>i5] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

act  of  imprudence  on  the  part  of  my  aunt  nearly 
cost  us  very  dear.  The  post  where  we  were  to  change 
horses  at  Dole  was  outside  the  city  upon  the  route 
to  Besanfon.  Accordingly,  we  passed  through  the 
city  by  a  quiet  street  without  any  trouble.  Arrived 
at  the  post,  my  aunt  inquired  of  the  maitre  de  poste 
if  this  route  led  to  Geneva.  He  replied  that  to  take 
the  route  to  Geneva,  that  of  the  Rousses,  it  was 
necessary  to  recross  the  city.  In  vain  I  suggested  to 
my  aunt  that  our  passports  stated  that  we  were  to 
leave  France  by  Pontarlier.  She  said  that  that  was 
of  no  importance,  and  as  soon  as  the  horses  were 
attached,  gave  the  order  to  turn  back  and  recross 
the  city  to  gain  the  route  of  Rousses  under  the  pretext 
that  she  had  given  a  rendez-vous  at  Geneva  to 
Monsieur  Lally. 

Accordingly,  we  reentered  the  city.  We  were  igno- 
rant of  the  fact  that  it  was  necessary  to  pass  through 
the  market,  which  was  being  held  upon  a  large  square. 
Forced  to  go  at  a  walk,  in  order  to  avoid  the  market 
baskets  and  the  persons  in  the  street,  we  were  re- 
ceived with  abuse.  Suddenly  a  voice  exclaimed: 
"C'est  la  Reine!"  At  once  we  were  stopped,  our 
horses  were  unhitched,  our  courier  was  dragged  from 
his  horse,  and  there  were  cries  of  "A  la  lanterne!" 
They  opened  the  door  of  the  carriage  and  ordered 
us  to  descend,  which  we  did,  not  without  fear.  I 
stated  that  I  was  the  daughter  of  the  Minister  of 
War  and  demanded  that  they  should  take  me  to  the 
commander  of  the  place  or  send  to  look  for  him.  My 
aunt  said  that  she  had  a  letter  from  Monsieur  de  La 
Fayette  for  the  commander  of  the  National  Guard. 

[ii6] 


VISIT  TO  SWnZKRLAND 

''There  is  his  house,"  cried  sonic  one,  and  we  saw 
two  sentinels  at  a  door  over  which  iloated  a  hirge 
tricolored  flag.  It  was  only  a  few  steps  away,  and  my 
aunt  and  I  entered  the  house,  where  the  crowd  of 
people  did  not  dare  to  follow  us.  We  went  through 
an  ante-chamber,  without  finding  any  one.  From 
there  we  entered  a  dining-room  where  there  was  a 
table  laid  out  with  seven  or  eight  covers.  The  guests 
had  left  precipitately,  and  two  or  three  over-turned 
chairs  testified  to  the  haste  witl\  which  they  had 
disappeared.  My  aunt  refused  to  go  farther,  but  rang 
a  bell,  which  she  had  noticed,  in  the  hope  that  some 
one  would  appear.  As  we  had  had  no  dejeuner,  we 
sat  down  at  the  table  and  commenced  to  eat  the 
dinner  which  had  been  abandoned.  An  excellent  meal 
satisfied  our  hunger,  while  we  laughed  over  our  ad- 
venture and  the  cowardice  of  the  chief  of  the  National 
Guard. 

Finally,  after  waiting  three  hours,  there  entered  a 
grave  personage,  a  kind  of  fat  bourgeois,  accompanied 
by  two  or  three  other  men.  This  individual  addressed 
my  aunt  and  demanded  her  name.  Then,  pointing  to 
me,  he  said:  ''This  young  lady  is  your  daughter?" 
She  replied  that  I  was  the  daughter-in-law  of  the 
Minister  of  War;  that  I  knew  that  there  was  a  regi- 
ment of  cavalry  in  garrison  at  Dole;  that  I  wished  to 
speak  to  the  commander  who  would  arrange,  with- 
out doubt,  with  the  President  of  the  Cummune  that 
we  should  be  set  at  liberty.  The  person  who  had  aj)- 
proached  us  stated  that  he  himself  was  the  President 
of  the  Commune.  My  aunt,  seeing  that  they  wished 
to  keep  us  prisoners,  suggested,  as  a  means  of  clear- 

C117] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

ing  the  matter  up,  that  a  servant  should  be  sent  as  a 
courier  to  Paris,  and  demanded  that  while  awaiting 
his  return  we  should  be  authorized  to  establish  our- 
selves at  an  inn.  One  of  the  members  of  the  Commune 
who  accompanied  the  President,  proposed  to  take  us 
to  his  house.  This  asylum  seemed  more  certain  than 
an  inn,  where  we  might  be  insulted  by  the  people. 
Upon  our  consenting,  he  offered  me  his  arm,  and  leav- 
ing this  inhospitable  house,  where  we  had  eaten  our 
dinner  without  invitation,  we  were  conducted  by  our 
host  to  a  mansion  where  we  were  lodged  in  rooms 
which,  although  common,  were  quite  good.  Here  we 
were  rejoined  by  the  maid  and  our  three  servants. 

We  at  once  wrote  to  Paris  about  our  misadventure, 
my  aunt  to  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  and  I  to  my 
husband.  Our  host  advised  us  not  to  attempt  to  go 
out,  and  we  resigned  ourselves  to  remaining  in  this 
dismal  lodging  on  the  ground  floor,  looking  out  on  a 
very  small  garden  where  the  sun  hardly  penetrated 
at  midday. 

The  next  morning  two  members  of  the  Commune 
came  to  interrogate  us.  They  asked  a  thousand 
questions  and  examined  our  papers  and  writing  port- 
folios. They  demanded  an  account  of  everything  we 
had  in  our  chaise  de  poste,  also  why  I  had  so  many 
new  shoes,  if  I  was  only  going  to  pass  six  weeks  in 
Switzerland,  as  I  had  stated,  and  hundreds  of  other 
similar  absurdities  which  caused  me  to  laugh  in  their 
faces.  Finally  the  thought  occurred  to  me  to  say  to 
them  that  the  officers  of  the  city  sent  to  Paris  to  the 
Federation,  and  who  ought  to  be  back  with  their 
regiment,  having  probably  dined  with  my  father-in- 

[118] 


VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

law,  would  recognize  me.  This  idea  appeared  to  them 
a  brilliant  one  and  they  went  to  look  for  the  officers. 

Towards  the  end  of  our  first  day  of  seclusion  there 
arrived  the  officers  of  Royal-F.trangcr  who  offered  me 
the  services  of  their  protection.  I  prayed  the  officers 
to  conceal  their  dissatisfaction,  but  I  could  not 
prevent  them  from  coming  every  day  to  call,  one 
after  another.  At  the  end  of  the  fourth  day  the 
members  of  the  Municipality  made  up  their  minds 
that  they  had  made  a  foolish  mistake  in  arresting 
us  and  gave  us  permission  to  set  out.  It  required 
several  hours  to  repack  our  carriages,  and  as  we  wished 
to  stop  for  the  night  at  Nyon,  we  resolved  not  to  set 
out  before  the  next  morning  at  five  o'clock.  The  next 
day,  with  many  thanks  to  the  officers  for  their  polite- 
ness, we  took  the  road  for  the  Jura. 

Our  triumph  came  that  very  evening.  The  Presi- 
dent of  the  National  Assembly  wrote  the  Mayor, 
or  President  of  the  Commune,  by  a  courier  sent 
expressly,  a  very  strong  reprimand  on  account 
of  our  arrest.  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  also  sent  a 
message  to  the  commander  of  the  National  Guard. 
My  father-in-law  entrusted  our  safety  to  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel commanding  the  place.  For  our  part, 
we  were  glad  to  escape  by  a  prompt  retreat  from  the 
honors  which  they  wished  to  shower  upon  us  to  make 
up  for  our  unjust  detention. 

We  arrived  at  Nyon  at  midnight  after  having 
passed  the  frontier  without  difficulty.  My  aunt  did 
not  find  Monsieur  Lally  there.  He  was  at  Secheron, 
where  it  was  arranged  that  we  should  go  the  next 
morning. 

Ci'9] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

The  next  day  we  arrived  at  Secheron,  where  we 
found  Monsieur  Lally  and  Monsieur  Mounier.  Here 
I  received  letters  from  my  husband,  who  seemed  to  be 
disturbed  by  the  revolt  of  several  garrisons  in  Lor- 
raine —  in  particular  of  that  of  Nancy.  This  news, 
however,  did  not  arouse  my  anxiety.  Monsieur 
Mounier  persuaded  my  aunt  to  make  a  visit  to 
Chamonix,  and  we  set  out  the  next  day  and  did  not 
return  to  Geneva  before  the  end  of  five  or  six  days. 
On  our  return  to  Secheron,  I  found  a  letter  from  my 
husband  which  had  been  forwarded  to  me  from 
Lausanne,  where  he  thought  I  was  with  my  aunt. 
He  announced  his  departure  for  Nancy  to  carry  orders 
from  the  King  to  Monsieur  de  Bouille.  Their  tenor 
was  that  he  should  unite  several  French  and  Swiss 
regiments  and  march  on  Nancy. 

At  Rolle,  where  we  stopped  to  refresh  our  horses, 
we  learned  at  the  inn  that  Monsieur  Plantamour  of 
Geneva  was  there  and  that  he  was  en  route  for 
Nancy.  My  aunt  asked  to  speak  to  him  in  private. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  entered  the  room  where  I  was, 
and  I  observed  that  he  was  very  much  troubled, 
which  increased  my  anxiety.  He  told  me  that  there 
had  been  fighting  at  Nancy,  but  that  details  were 
lacking.  We  continued  our  route  to  Lausanne,  and 
on  arriving  there  Monsieur  Lally,  who  had  preceded 
us,  gave  me  several  letters  from  my  husband,  written 
after  his  return  to  Paris.  In  these  letters  he  told  me 
everything  which  had  occurred  at  Nancy.  As  these 
details  belong  to  the  domain  of  history,  I  shall  not 
relate  them  here. 

While  these  events  were  happening  at  Nancy,  I 

C  120] 


VISIT  TO  SWITZERLAND 

was  at  Lausanne,  where  1  passed  two  weeks  and  en- 
joyed myself  very  much.  Mere  I  encountered  a  cele- 
brated person  —  Mr.  Cjibbon  —  whose  grotesque  face 
gave  me  such  a  desire  to  laugh  that  it  was  difficult 
to  control  myself.  There  were  also  many  emigres  at 
Lausanne.  As  1  did  not  enjoy  myself  in  their  society, 
as  soon  as  Mme.  Montesson  was  established  at 
Paquis,  near  Geneva,  I  hastened  to  rejoin  her,  and 
went  to  lodge  with  Mme.  Valence  in  a  little  house 
distinct  from  that  of  Mme.  Montesson. 

The  inn  of  Secheron  was  then  very  popular.  I\Liny 
of  the  emigres  whom  I  knew  were  settled  there  for 
the  summer.  Several  young  men,  after  having  ac- 
companied the  Comte  d'Artois  to  Turin,  already 
tired  of  Piemont,  had  come  to  Switzerland. 

Fortunately  I  remained  only  three  or  four  weeks 
at  Geneva,  or  rather  Paquis.  My  husband  came  to 
join  me  and  take  me  back  to  Paris.  As  he  was  in  a 
hurry  and  wished  to  return  by  way  of  Alsace,  in  order 
to  meet  Monsieur  Bouille,  we  left  Geneva  at  an  early 
hour  in  the  morning  so  as  to  have  several  hours 
to  visit  Berne  and  Bale.  Monsieur  Bouille  came  to 
meet  us  between  Huningue  and  Neuf-Brisach,  and  I 
waited  patiently  in  the  carriage  while  my  husband 
talked  with  him  in  walking  up  and  down  the  high- 
way. After  a  morning  devoted  to  Strasbourg,  we 
passed  the  night  at  Saverne  and  from  there  went  to 
Nancy.  From  Nancy  we  made  the  trip  to  Paris  with- 
out stopping,  and  upon  my  return  I  found  my  dear 
boy  in  good  health  and  looking  well  and  handsome. 


C  121  ] 


CHAPTER  TWELVE 

1791-1792 
RESIDENCE  IN  HOLLAND 

Sojourn  at  Paris. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Leaves  the 
Ministry  of  War. —  His  Son  Refuses  the  Post. —  Is  Named 
as  Minister  to  Holland. —  Residence  at  Rue  de  Varenne. — ■ 
The  Flight  of  the  Royal  Family. —  Departure  for  Holland. — 
The  Lameth  Family. —  Life  of  Pleasure  at  The  Hague. — 
Recall  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. — Decree  against 
the  Emigres. —  Flight  of  La  Fayette. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  Returns  to  France. 

I  RESUMED  my  life  at  Paris,  at  the  Hotel  de  la 
Guerre.  Nearly  every  morning  I  rode  on  horse- 
back accompanied  by  my  cousin,  Dominique 
Sheldon.  I  often  went  to  the  theatre  with  young  Mme. 
de  Noailles,  whose  mother,  Mme.  Laborde,  did  not 
go  out.  Every  day  my  father-in-law  became  more 
disgusted  with  the  Ministry.  Nearly  all  the  regiments 
of  the  army  were  in  a  state  of  revolt.  The  greater  part 
of  the  officers,  instead  of  opposing  the  efforts  of  the 
Revolutionists  with  consistent  firmness,  sent  in  their 
resignations  and  left  France.  Emigration  became  a 
point  of  honor.  The  officers  who  remained  with  their 
regiments  received  letters  from  those  who  had  em- 
igrated, reproaching  them  for  cowardice  and  lack  of 
attachment  to  the  Royal  family.  They  endeavored  to 
make  them  see  that  it  was  their  duty  to  abandon 
their  sovereign.  They  promised  them  the  interven- 

[122] 


RESIDENCE   IN   HOLLAND 

tiun  of  enormous  armies  of  foreigners.  The  King, 
whose  feebleness  was  equal  to  his  goodness,  hesitated 
to  arrest  this  torrent.  It  thus  happened  that  every 
day  saw  the  departure  of  some  members  of  his  party 
or  even  of  his  household. 

My  father-in-law,  who  was  powerless  against  the 
intrigues  of  the  Assembly,  and  who  did  not  find  in 
the  King  the  firmness  which  he  had  the  right  to  ex- 
pect, resolved  to  leave  the  Ministry.  This  he  did 
on  the  fifteenth  of  November,  1790.  It  was  proposed 
that  my  husband  should  succeed  him.  He  had  just 
finished  a  plan  for  the  reorganization  of  the  Army, 
which  was  entirely  his  own  work.  The  King  himself 
felt  that  the  author  of  this  plan  was  capable  of  putting 
it  in  operation.  My  husband  refused.  He  did  not 
wish  to  succeed  his  father  for  fear  that  the  matter 
would  be  misinterpreted. 

It  was  at  this  time,  in  the  last  days  of  December, 
1790,  that  he  was  given  the  place  of  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary to  Holland.  It  was  arranged,  however, 
that  he  should  not  join  his  post  before  the  King  had 
accepted  the  Constitution,  which  the  National  As- 
sembly expected  to  finish  before  the  end  of  the  winter. 

Having  left  the  Hotel  de  la  Guerre,  we  went  to 
live  in  the  house  of  my  aunt,  Mme.  d'Henin,  Rue  de 
Varenne,  near  the  Rue  du  Bac.  She  had  had  trans- 
ported here  all  the  furniture  from  the  Rue  de  Ver- 
neuil,  where  she  had  given  up  her  lease.  This  house 
was  very  convenient.  We  lived  here  with  my  sister- 
in-law,  Mme.  de  Lameth,  her  two  children  and  my 
father-in-law.  My  husband  kept  the  saddle-horses 
and  a  coupe  horse  for  himself.  My  father-in-law  did 

C 123  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

not  wish  to  have  any  carriage.  He  kept  only  two 
carriage  horses  for  my  sister-in-law  and  myself.  Mme. 
de  Lameth  hardly  ever  went  out  in  the  evening,  but 
she  went  every  morning  to  the  sittings  of  the  As- 
sembly, which  were  held  in  the  Riding  School  of  the 
Tuileries.  The  National  Assembly  had  taken  up  its 
quarters  in  this  place  at  the  time  it  was  transferred 
from  Versailles  to  Paris. 

I  occasionally  went  to  meetings  which  I  thought 
would  interest  me,  but  not  regularly  like  my  sister- 
in-law.  My  mornings  were  employed  more  usefully. 
I  had  a  master  of  design,  one  of  singing,  one  for 
Italian  and,  if  the  weather  was  good,  I  rode  horse- 
back from  three  o'clock  to  nightfall.  When  my  cousin 
Sheldon  was  able  to  accompany  me,  I  went  to  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne,  but  more  often  I  went  by  the  Plaine 
de  Crenelle  to  the  Bois  de  Meudon,  and  those  days  I 
rode  a  thoroughbred  who  was  very  lively  and  whose 
manners  pleased  me  very  much.  But  it  was  difficult 
to  manage  him  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  because  he 
would  not  allow  another  horse  before  him  and  was 
always  ready  to  run  away. 

In  the  spring  of  1791  my  husband  made  his  prep- 
arations to  leave  for  Holland.  We  packed  up  our 
effects,  and  our  boxes  were  sent  to  Rotterdam  by  sea. 
We  sold  our  saddle-horses  and  set  out  with  our  son 
and  his  nurse  for  Henencourt  where  my  sister-in-law 
was  staying.  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  came  to 
pass  some  time  there  and  then  returned  to  Paris  to 
finish  up  his  business.  At  Paris  he  was  informed  by 
Monsieur  Montmorin  that  the  King  did  not  wish 
him  to  leave  for  his  post  until  the  day  after  the 

[  124] 


RESIDENCE   IN   HOLLAND 

Constitution,  which  was  to  be  presented  to  him,  had 
received  the  royal  sanction.  My  husband  therefore 
remained  at  Paris.  I  went  to  rejoin  him  for  several 
days  to  see  the  indecent  funeral  procession  of  Voltaire 
when  his  remains  were  taken  to  the  Pantheon. 

I  was  living  quietly  at  Henencourt  with  my  sister- 
in-law,  when  my  negro  servant,  Zamore,  entered  my 
room  at  about  nine  o'clock  one  morning  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement.  He  informed  me  that  two  strangers 
had  passed  in  front  of  the  gate  who  stated  that  the 
evening  before,  the  King,  his  children,  the  Queen  and 
Mme.  Elisabeth  had  left  Paris  and  that  it  was  not 
known  where  they  had  gone.  This  news  troubled  me 
very  much,  and  I  wished  to  speak  with  these  men.  I 
ran  to  the  gate  of  the  court,  but  they  had  already 
disappeared,  and  no  one  knew  what  had  become  of 
them. 

My  anxiety  was  very  great,  as  I  was  afraid  that  my 
husband  might  be  compromised.  Therefore  I  de- 
cided to  send  Zamore  to  Paris  as  a  courier  to  ob- 
tain some  definite  news.  An  hour  later  he  set  out, 
but  before  he  returned  I  received  by  mail  a  word 
from  my  husband  which  confirmed  the  news.  My 
brother-in-law  returned  from  Amiens,  where  he  was 
at  the  time,  and  we  passed  two  days  in  a  state  of 
agitation  which  nothing  can  describe.  Ignorant  of  the 
outcome  of  this  adventure,  the  days  seemed  like 
centuries.  My  brother-in-law  would  not  allow  us  to 
go  to  Amiens  for  fear  that  they  might  close  the  city 
gates  and  that  we  would  not  be  able  to  return  to  the 
country.  We  hoped  that  the  King  had  passed  the 
frontier,  but  we  did  not  dare  to  calculate  the  effect 

[125] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

that  this  event  would  cause  in  Paris.  My  anxiety  for 
my  husband  was  intense,  but  I  did  not  dare  to  go  to 
rejoin  him  because  he  had  forbidden  me  to  do  so.  On 
the  third  day,  at  evening,  we  learned  by  a  man  who 
had  come  from  Amiens  that  the  King  had  been  ar- 
rested and  taken  back  as  a  prisoner  to  Paris.  An  hour 
later  Zamore  arrived  bringing  a  long  letter  from  my 
husband,  who  was  in  despair. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  relate  the  details  of  this  un- 
fortunate flight,  so  badly  organized.  The  memoirs  of 
the  time  have  recounted  all  the  circumstances.  This 
whole  affair,  originated  by  Monsieur  Fersen,  who 
was  a  fool,  was  one  succession  of  mistakes  and 
imprudences. 

It  was  only  after  a  seclusion  of  two  months  that 
the  King  decided  to  accept  the  Constitution  which 
had  been  presented  to  him.  My  husband  had  drawn 
up  a  long  memorandum,  written  entirely  in  his  own 
hand  but  not  signed,  in  which  he  implored  the  King 
to  refuse  to  sign.  This  memorandum,  which  was 
handed  by  my  husband,  personally,  to  the  King, 
was  found  after  the  tenth  of  August  in  the  famous 
Armoire  de  Fer.  The  King  had  written  at  the  top: 

"Handed  me  by  Monsieur  G to  advise  me  to 

refuse  the  Constitution."  Later  it  was  generally  sup- 
posed that  the  initial  was  that  of  Monsieur  Gouvion 
who  was  killed  in  one  of  the  first  combats  of  the  war. 

After  the  acceptance  of  the  Constitution,  during 
the  session  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  there  were 
several  months  of  respite,  and  I  am  persuaded  that 
if  war  had  not  been  declared,  if  the  emigres  had  re- 
turned as  the  King  seemed  to  desire,  the  excesses  of 

[126] 


RESIDENCE   IN   HOLLAND 

the  Revolution  would  have  been  arrested.  But  the 
King  and  Queen  believed  in  the  good  faith  of  the 
Powers.  Every  party  was  deceived,  and  France  saw 
and  found  glory  in  the  defence  of  its  territory.  As 
Napoleon  said  to  Sieyes:  "Si  j'avais  ete  a  la  place  de 
La  Fayette,  le  roi  serait  encore  sur  le  trone,  et  vous, 
Tabbe,  vous  seriez  trop  heureux  de  me  dire  la  messe." 

We  set  out  for  The  Hague  at  the  beginning  of 
October,  1791.  My  sister-in-law  accompanied  us  with 
her  two  sons  and  their  tutor.  My  sister-in-law's 
health  was  very  bad,  for  the  consumption  of  which 
she  died  the  following  year  had  already  made  much 
progress.  As  she  was  very  fond  of  society,  the  thought 
of  spending  the  winter  alone  at  Henencourt  was  in- 
supportable. She  no  longer  had  an  establishment  at 
Paris.  Until  the  Revolution  she  had  lived  with  her 
whole  family  at  the  Hotel  de  Lameth,  Rue  Notre- 
Dame-des-Champs.  There  the  mother  of  the  four 
Lameth  brothers,  who  was  a  sister  of  Marechal  de 
Broglie,  had  brought  up  her  children.  The  Marechal 
had  placed  the  boys  in  four  different  regiments,  and 
the  three  youngest  had  taken  part  with  distinction 
in  the  American  war,  in  which  one  of  them,  Charles, 
had  been  severely  wounded.  My  husband's  brother- 
in-law,  the  eldest  of  the  four,  had  retired  to  the 
country,  after  having  resigned  as  Colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment of  the  Couronne-Infanterie.  The  second  brother, 
Theodore,  also  left  the  army  and  is  still  living  at  the 
time  these  lines  are  written  (1841).  The  third,  Charles, 
had  married  Mile.  Picot,  the  only  daughter  and  heir  of 
a  planter  of  Saint-Domingue  and  lived  at  Bayonne. 

In  1787  the  French  embassy  had  been  driven  from 

[1-7] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Holland,  and  the  Comte  de  Saint-Priest  had  retired 
to  Antwerp.  France  was  only  represented  at  The 
Hague  by  a  charge  d'affaires,  Monsieur  Caillard,  who 
was  a  consummate  diplomat.  He  was  very  useful  to 
my  husband,  who  until  then  had  never  occupied  him- 
self with  diplomacy,  except  in  reading  history  which 
was  his  favorite  study. 

When  we  arrived  at  The  Hague,  in  the  month  of 
October,  1791,  the  Stadtholder  was  at  Berlin  where 
he  had  gone  to  attend  the  marriage  of  his  eldest  son 
to  the  young  Princess  of  Prussia.  He  returned  to  The 
Hague  several  months  later,  and  then  there  began  a 
series  of  fetes,  balls  and  suppers,  and  diversions  of 
every  kind,  which  were  very  pleasant  for  my  twenty- 
one  years.  I  had  brought  many  elegant  things  with 
me  from  France  and  I  soon  became  very  much  in 
vogue.  They  tried  to  copy  me  in  everything.  I  danced 
very  well  and  my  success  at  the  balls  was  very  great. 
I  enjoyed  it  like  a  child.  No  thought  of  the  morrow 
bothered  me.  At  all  the  social  reunions  I  was  the 
first.  The  Princesse  d'Orange  did  not  object  to  being 
dressed  like  me  and  to  have  her  hair  dressed  by  my 
valet  de  chambre.  In  short,  this  life  of  success,  which 
was  to  last  so  short  a  time,  intoxicated  me. 

When  Dumouriez  was  appointed  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs  in  the  month  of  March,  1792,  his 
first  care  was  to  avenge  himself  for  I  know  not 
what  personal  discontent  which  had  been  caused 
him  by  my  father-in-law  during  the  time  he  was 
Minister.  He  therefore  recalled  my  husband  under 
the  false  pretext  that  he  had  not  shown  sufficient 
firmness  in  demanding  reparation  for  a  pretended 

C128] 


RESIDENCE   IN   HOLLAND 

insult  made  to  the  National  flag  of  France.  As  soon 
as  we  received  the  news  of  our  recall,  we  at  once 
leased  a  pretty  little  unfurnished  house,  for  our- 
selves, my  sister-in-law  and  her  children.  She  did 
not  wish  to  return  to  France  and  preferred  to  remain 
with  me  at  The  Hague.  During  the  day  all  the  furni- 
ture which  belonged  to  us,  and  which  we  did  not  wish 
to  sell,  was  transported  to  this  house.  The  rest  of 
our  effects,  as  well  as  the  wines,  the  service  of  porce- 
lain, the  horses  and  carriages,  remained  at  the  Hotel 
de  France  to  be  placed  on  sale  after  the  arrival  of 
the  new  Minister,  in  case  he  did  not  wish  to  acquire 
them  from  us.  As  my  husband  had  no  secretary  of 
legation,  because  Monsieur  Caillard  had  been  sent 
to  Petersbourg  as  charge  d'affaires,  he  placed  the 
archives  in  the  hands  of  his  own  private  secretary, 
who  was  none  other  than  Monsieur  Combes,  my 
former  instructor. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  then  left  for  England 
to  see  my  father  who  had  just  arrived  there,  in  order 
to  persuade  him  to  rejoin  us  at  The  Hague.  From 
there  he  went  to  Paris,  whence  he  wrote  me  by  every 
mail  letters  which  were  more  and  more  alarming. 

Monsieur  de  Maulde,  who  had  been  appointed 
Minister  to  The  Hague,  arrived  at  his  post  about  the 
tenth  of  August  and  was  very  badly  received.  No 
one  paid  any  visits  to  him,  except  the  Ambassador 
of  England,  which  power  was  not  yet  at  war  with 
France.  He  did  not  wish  to  buy  any  of  our  effects, 
and  sent  his  secretary  to  notify  me  of  his  refusal  to 
allow  us  to  have  the  auction  sale  of  our  things  held 

C  129] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

in  the  salons  of  the  ground  floor  of  the  Hotel  de 
France. 

As  the  weather  was  fine,  I  obtained  permission  to 
have  the  sale  of  our  things  held  upon  the  Petit 
Voorhout,  a  charming  promenade  before  the  door  of 
the  Embassy.  This  auction  was  an  event  at  The 
Hague.  All  my  friends  were  present,  and  the  smallest 
things  were  sold  at  a  very  high  price.  I  received  a 
sum  of  money  which  was  more  than  double  what 
everything  had  cost  us.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  were 
put  in  the  hands  of  Monsieur  Moliere,  a  trustworthy 
Dutch  banker.  He  took  care  of  the  money,  and  later 
on  sent  it  to  me  in  America. 

Mme.  d'Henin,  my  aunt,  had  emigrated  to  England 
and  was  very  anxious  to  have  me  come  there  and 
join  her,  but  the  health  of  my  sister-in-law  was 
visibly  declining  and  I  did  not  wish  to  leave  her.  On 
the  other  hand,  my  father-in-law  was  thinking  of 
joining  us  in  Holland.  My  husband  passed  several 
days  at  The  Hague  between  the  tenth  of  August  and 
the  massacres  of  September,  1792.  Then  his  father 
recalled  him  to  London  to  be  with  him. 

During  the  last  days  of  November,  1792,  the  Con- 
vention adopted  a  decree  against  the  emigres  and 
fixed  a  short  term  in  which  they  could  return  to 
France,  under  pain  of  confiscation.  My  excellent 
father-in-law  was  in  England  and  was  thinking  of 
joining  us  at  The  Hague  where  his  daughter  and  I 
were  awaiting  him  with  impatience.  But  the  news  of 
this  decree  changed  his  plans.  He  wrote  us  that  he 
was  not  willing  to  injure  the  interests  of  his  children 

C130] 


RESIDENCE   IN   HOLLAND 

on  account  of  any  personal  consideration  and  that  he 
should  return  to  Paris. 

I  do  not  know  why  I  neglected  to  speak  of  the 
flight  of  Messieurs  de  La  Fayette,  Alexandre  de 
Lameth  and  de  La  Tour-Maubourg.  All  three  secretly 
left  the  corps  d'armee  commanded  by  Monsieur  de 
La  Fayette,  to  pass  into  foreign  territory,  with  a 
foolish  confidence  which  it  would  be  diflficult  to  ex- 
plain. Having  presented  themselves  at  the  advance 
posts  of  the  Austrians,  they  were  at  once  arrested. 
The  Austrians  wished  to  use  them  as  hostages  to 
guarantee  the  safety  of  the  King  and  his  family,  who 
had  been  confined  in  the  Temple  since  the  day  of  the 
tenth  of  August.  Monsieur  Alexandre  de  Lameth  had 
pemiission  to  write  to  his  sister-in-law  who  was  then 
with  me  at  The  Hague,  as  I  have  already  said,  in 
order  to  ask  for  money.  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette,  for 
his  part,  wrote  to  Mr.  Short,  the  American  Minister 
at  The  Hague.  A  man  named  Dulong,  who  had  been 
for  many  years  in  the  service  of  the  French  Legation, 
had  undertaken  to  arrange  the  escape  of  Monsieur  de 
La  Fayette  who  was  imprisoned  at  Liege.  For  this 
purpose  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  have  at  least 
25,000  francs.  Mr.  Short,  although  he  was  a  rich  man, 
refused  to  advance  the  sum.  Accordingly,  Monsieur 
de  La  Fayette  was  transferred  with  his  two  com- 
panions to  the  prison  of  Olmutz,  where  he  remained 
until  the  Treaty  of  Campo-Formio  (October,  1797). 

At  the  end  of  the  Terror,  Mme.  de  La  Fayette  went 
to  Vienna,  accompanied  by  her  two  daughters,  and  ob- 
tained permission  from  the  Emperor  of  Austria  to  be 
shut  up  at  Olmutz  with  her  husband  and  to  undergo 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

all  the  rigours  of  his  fate.  Almost  by  a  miracle,  she 
had  escaped  the  scaffold  upon  which  perished  on  the 
same  day,  (22  July  1794),  her  grandmother,  her 
mother  and  her  sister.  In  her  voluntary  captivity,  she 
showed  a  resignation  and  a  courage  which  only 
religion  could  have  inspired.  Nevertheless,  she  had 
never  been  treated  by  her  husband  except  with  the 
most  cruel  indifference,  and  she  certainly  could  not 
have  forgotten  the  numerous  infidelities  of  which  he 
had  been  guilty. 

My  father  commanded  the  corps  d'armee  es- 
tablished in  camp  between  Quesnoy  and  Valenciennes. 
At  the  news  of  the  events  of  the  month  of  August 
1792  at  Paris  —  the  attack  on  the  Tuileries  and  the 
overthrow  of  the  Monarchy  —  he  had  addressed  an 
order  of  the  day  to  the  troops,  prescribing  the  renewal 
of  the  oath  of  fidelity  to  the  King  which  he  himself 
took  at  the  same  time.  The  result  of  this  noble  profes- 
sion of  faith  was  his  removal,  the  23  August,  1792, 
with  the  order  to  report  at  Paris.  My  endeavors  to 
prevent  this  remained  fruitless  and  my  fears  were 
only  too  well  justified.  I  have  always  reproached  my- 
self because  I  did  not  go  to  find  him  and  force  him  to 
return  with  me  to  The  Hague.  God  had  decided  other- 
wise! Poor  father!  He  perished  on  the  scaffold,  13 
April,  1794. 

As  I  owned  a  house  at  Paris,  occupied  by  the 
Swedish  Ambassador,  and  had  an  income  from  the 
State,  or  from  the  City  of  Paris,  my  husband  was 
afraid  that  my  name  would  be  put  upon  the  list  of 
emigres  which  was  about  to  appear.  He  therefore 

C  132] 


RESIDENCE    IN    HOLLAND 

sent  to  me  at  The  Hague  a  very  faithful  valet  de 
chambre  to  accompany  me  on  my  return  to  Paris 
and  charged  him  to  tell  me  that  I  would  find  at  the 
Belgian  frontier,  several  leagues  from  Antwerp,  a 
former  aide  de  camp  of  my  father,  provided  with  an 
order  to  secure  my  safety,  and  that  this  man  would 
escort  me  if  necessary.  I  made  my  adieux  to  my  poor 
sister-in-law,  who  died  two  months  later,  and  set  out 
in  company  with  my  son,  aged  two  years  and  a  half, 
my  faithful  Marguerite,  a  valet  de  chambre  and  my 
negro,  Zamore.  The  winter  which  had  just  com- 
menced rendered  the  journey  very  disagreeable. 

The  first  day  of  December,  1792,  buried  in  the 
back  of  an  excellent  berline,  well  enveloped  with  furs 
and  bear  skins,  I  left  The  Hague,  to  pass  the  first 
night,  I  think,  at  Gorkum.  During  the  whole  day  we 
heard  the  noise  of  cannon.  My  valet  de  chambre 
thought  that  this  noise  must  come  from  the  French 
who  were  besieging  the  city  of  Antwerp,  but  that  it 
would  take  them  a  long  time  to  capture  the  city  as 
the  garrison  was  very  strong  and  the  city  well 
provisioned.  The  next  day,  at  Breda,  a  city  situated 
also  in  Holland,  there  was  the  same  noise  of  cannon- 
ade. As  no  alarming  news  was  published,  I  set  out, 
nevertheless,  without  fear  and  found,  at  the  Austrian 
frontier  of  the  Low-Countries,  Monsieur  Schnetz,  a 
brave  officer  and  friend  of  my  father's  whose  presence 
gave  me  great  pleasure.  Arrived  there  the  evening 
before,  he  had  been  astonished  that  there  was  no 
news  from  Antwerp.  He  said  laughingly,  but  without 
really  believing  it,  that  perhaps  the  city  had  been 
taken.    However,   about  midday,   the   noise  of  the 

[  133  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION  ' 

cannon  having  ceased,  he  then  declared  that  this 
rampart  of  the  Austrian  power  had  capitulated,  which 
was  indeed  true.  On  arriving  at  the  French  post,  at 
the  exterior  gate  of  the  city,  we  learned  that  the 
French  were  masters  of  this  great  fortress.  On  arriving 
at  the  Hotel  du  Grand  Laboureur  upon  the  large 
Place  Meir,  we  had  much  trouble  in  obtaining  a 
room.  It  was  only  due  to  the  intervention  of  a  general, 
whose  name  escapes  me,  that  an  officer  gave  up  for  me 
the  room  in  which  he  was  already  installed,  from  which 
he  had  his  baggage  taken  out  with  rather  bad  grace. 

In  the  morning  Monsieur  Schnetz  informed  me 
that  we  must  set  out  for  Mons,  where  we  were  to 
pass  the  night,  as  had  been  arranged.  I  was  so  upset 
by  the  events  of  the  previous  day,  that  I  did  not 
venture  to  request  the  privilege  of  passing  the  next 
night  at  Brussels,  which  would  have  permitted  me 
to  see  my  aunt,  Lady  Jerningham,  who  was  then  in 
this  city  with  her  daughter.  It  was  therefore  arranged 
that  we  should  only  change  horses  at  Brussels. 

In  leaving  Antwerp,  I  was  struck  by  the  originality 
of  a  spectacle  new  to  me.  Between  the  advance  lines 
of  the  fortifications  and  the  first  post,  at  Contich, 
we  passed  through  the  entire  French  army,  which 
was  in  bivouac  there.  These  conquerors,  who  had  al- 
ready caused  the  armies  of  Austria  and  Prussia  to 
tremble,  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  horde  of  bandits. 
The  greater  part  were  without  uniforms.  The  Con- 
vention had  had  manufactured  in  haste  for  the 
soldiers  caps  of  cloth  of  the  most  varied  colors,  for 
which  they  had  requisitioned  the  material  from  all 
the  shops  of  Paris  and  the  large  cities.  The  officers 

C134] 


RESIDENCE   IN   HOLLAND 

only  were  in  uniform,  hut  their  uniforms  had  none 
of  the  brilhant  embroideries  of  which  Napoleon  later 
on  was  so  prodigal. 

Forced  to  go  almost  at  a  walk,  the  route  to  me  ap- 
peared very  long.  The  highways  had  been  cut  up  by 
the  artillery  and  were  encumbered  by  wagons, 
caissons  and  cannon.  We  proceeded  slowly,  in  the 
midst  of  the  cries  and  the  oaths  of  the  charrctiers  and 
the  gross  pleasantries  of  the  soldiers.  I  saw  that 
Schnetz  was  disturbed  and  that  he  regretted  that  we 
had  not  taken  an  escort.  Finally,  at  nightfall,  we 
reached  Malines,  where  we  passed  the  night  quietly, 
although  there  were  still  many  troops. 

The  following  morning,  we  set  out  for  Brussels 
which  we  were  to  pass  through  without  stop.  But 
Monsieur  de  Chabrillan,  commandant  of  the  city, 
thought  otherwise.  At  the  moment  that  the  horses 
were  ready  and  after  Schnetz  had  already  had  our 
passports  vised,  there  arrived  an  order  from  the 
general  that  I  should  be  detained.  The  horses  were 
unhitched,  and  when  I  wished  to  descend  from  the 
carriage  to  look  for  a  shelter  in  the  maison  de  posie, 
I  found  sentinels  placed  at  the  two  doors  of  the 
carriage  who  prevented  me.  Schnetz  immediately 
went  to  the  general  headquarters  to  demand  the 
reason  for  this  vexatious  delay. 

Finally,  at  the  end  of  three  hours,  the  general  author- 
ized my  departure,  without  having  condescended 
to  explain  this  singular  abuse  of  authority.  He  was 
a  man  of  the  world  whom  I  had  met  a  hundred  times  in 
society  without  ever  having  spoken  to  him.  He  was 
very  short-sighted  and  had  a  very  revolutionary  spirit. 

[135] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  was  not  yet  at  the  end  of  my  alarms.  On  arriving 
late  at  Mons,  we  had  much  trouble  in  finding  a 
lodging.  All  the  inns  were  full.  At  last  in  one  place 
we  succeeded  in  finding  two  little  rooms  for  my  maid 
and  myself  which  were  located  in  a  very  low  first 
story,  looking  out  upon  the  street.  The  officers  who 
occupied  them  had  just  left.  Schnetz  and  my  two 
domestics  were  to  sleep  at  the  end  of  a  very  large 
court,  so  that  my  maid  and  I  were  separated  from 
them.  This  arrangement  was  very  far  from  pleasing 
me,  but  it  was  necessary  to  submit.  I  therefore  lay 
down  on  the  bed  without  undressing.  During  the 
night  I  was  disturbed  and  alarmed  by  officers  who 
endeavored  to  enter  my  room. 

The  following  morning,  shortly  after  our  de- 
parture, we  met  an  escadron  composed  entirely  of 
negroes,  all  of  whom  were  well  mounted  and  perfectly 
equipped.  They  were  commanded  by  the  handsome 
negro  of  the  Due  d'Orleans  (Egalite).  His  name  was 
Edouard  and  he  was  well  acquainted  with  my  negro, 
Zamore,  who  asked  my  permission  to  spend  the  day 
with  his  friends.  I  was  afraid  that  they  would  en- 
deavor to  persuade  him  to  join  them  and  that  I 
should  never  see  him  again,  but  I  was  mistaken. 
This  worthy  fellow  was  very  well  treated  by  his 
comrades  during  the  day,  but  at  night  he  rejoined  me. 

The  remainder  of  my  journey  passed  without  any 
circumstances  worthy  of  being  reported.  Monsieur 
Schnetz  left  me  at  Peronne,  and  I  continued  my 
route  to  Henencourt  where  I  found  my  brother-in- 
law,  the  Marquis  de  Lameth. 

C136] 


CHAPTER  THIRTEEN 

1793 
FLIGHT  TO  BORDEAUX 

Vexations  of  Travel  in  France. —  Residence  at  Passy. —  The 
21  January,  1793. —  Portrait  of  Monsieur  Arthur  Dillon. — 
Retirement  to  Le  Bouilh. —  Bordeaux  and  the  Federation. 
—  Arrest  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Pere. —  His  Son 
and  Daughter-in-Law  Take  Refuge  at  Canoles  with  Mon- 
sieur de  Brouquens. —  The  Guillotine  at  Bordeaux. — 
Birth  of  Seraphine. —  Flight  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin. —  Arrest  of  Monsieur  de  Brouquens. —  Confrontation 
of  the  Queen  and  the  Former  Minister  of  War. —  Precipitate 
Departure  of  his  Son  from  Le  Bouilh. —  Three  Months  of 
Forced  Retirement  at  Mirambeau. 

I  ARRIVED  very  late  at  Henencourt  where,  as 
already  stated,  I  found  my  brother-in-law.  He 
was  very  much  depressed  over  his  personal  situa- 
tion and  was  well  satisfied  that  his  wife  and  children 
were  out  of  France.  It  was  arranged  that  I  should 
stop  only  twenty-four  hours  at  Henencourt,  in  order 
to  take  the  papers  which  would  permit  me  to  reach 
Paris  In  safety,  among  others,  an  attestation  of  my 
sojourn  at  Henencourt  since  the  recall  of  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin.  My  hope  that  my  husband  would 
come  to  meet  me  was  disappointed,  for  already  it 
was  both  difficult  and  dangerous  to  travel  In  France. 
Not  only  was  a  passport  necessary,  but,  to  obtain 
this,  It  was  essential  to  be  accompanied  by  sureties 

C 137] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

who,  upon  their  own  responsibihty,  testified  that  you 
were  not  going  in  a  direction  difterent  from  that 
indicated.  Besides  this,  in  order  to  enter  the  environs 
of  Paris,  it  was  necessary  to  be  fortified  with  a  carte 
de  surete,  of  which  each  post  of  the  National  Guard 
had  the  right  to  demand  the  production.  In  short, 
a  thousand  Httle  vexations  added  to  great  ones 
rendered  a  sojourn  in  France  insupportable. 

I  therefore  set  out  alone  from  Henencourt  and 
arrived  without  trouble  at  Passy  the  following  day. 
The  maitre  de  poste  of  Saint-Denis  commenced  by 
refusing  peremptorily  to  conduct  me  to  Passy  where  I 
wished  to  go,  under  the  pretext  that  as  my  passport 
was  for  Paris,  it  was  necessary  to  conduct  me  there 
by  the  shortest  route.  After  an  hour  of  conferences 
and  explanations,  during  the  course  of  which  I  was 
afraid  of  compromising  myself,  as  I  was  not  used  to 
this  sort  of  thing,  my  valet  de  chambre  had  the  happy 
thought  of  showing  his  own  carte  de  surete  for  Passy, 
and,  upon  the  payment  of  an  extra  sum,  they  allowed 
us  to  leave. 

At  Passy  I  finally  rejoined  my  husband  who  was 
established  in  a  house  belonging  to  Mme.  de  Poix. 
As  this  dwelling  was  too  large  for  our  household,  we 
were  enabled  to  close  the  windows  on  the  street, 
thus  giving  the  idea  that  the  house  was  uninhabited. 
We  entered  by  the  small  door  used  by  the  concierge. 
The  house  had  two  or  three  other  exits  and  therefore 
constituted  a  good  refuge,  especially  as  it  was  the 
last  dwelling  of  the  village  on  the  side  of  Auteuil, 
which  enabled  us  easily  to  join  my  father-in-law  who 
had  been  settled  in  this  last  named  locality  since  his 

C  13S  ] 


FLIGHT  TO   BORDEAUX 

return  from  England.  1  he  house  which  he  occupied 
was  named  La  1  uilerie.  It  was  isolated  and  situated 
between  Auteuil  and  Passy.  Fortunately  we  could  go 
there  by  byways  where  we  never  encountered  any  one. 
An  old  cabriolet  and  a  wretched  horse  conducted  us 
to  Paris,  without  the  necessity  of  letting  the  public 
coachmen  into  the  secret  of  our  retreat. 

Every  day  after  our  dejeuner,  I  went  to  Paris  with 
my  husband  who  was  occupied  with  his  own  affairs  and 
those  of  his  father.  We  nearly  always  took  our  dinner 
in  the  city,  either  with  my  father  or  with  Mme.  de 
Montesson  whose  house  was  always  open  to  us. 

My  father  who  was  living  in  a  furnished  hotel  in 
the  Chaussee-d'Antin  was  giving  all  his  time  to  the 
service  of  the  King,  endeavoring  to  organize  the  party 
which  was  later  known  as  the  Girondins.  To  them  he 
pointed  out  that  their  best  interests  lay  in  preserving 
the  life  of  the  King,  of  arranging  his  escape  from  Paris, 
and  then  of  guarding  him  as  hostage  in  some  city  of 
the  interior  where  he  would  not  be  able  to  communi- 
cate either  with  foreign  powers,  or  with  the  Royalists, 
who  were  then  commencing  to  organize  in  the  Vendee. 
But  the  party  of  Terrorists  was  too  strong  for  any 
human  efforts  to  thwart  its  terrible  intentions. 

My  unfortunate  father  made  his  strongest  efforts 
with  Dumouriez,  who  came  to  Paris  about  the  middle 
of  January,  but  was  deceived  by  the  latter  with  vain 
promises.  Dumouriez  was  entirely  committed  to  the 
party  of  Egalite  and  his  son  of  whom  he  boasted 
that  he  was  the  military  tutor.  His  trip  to  Paris  had 
no  other  end  than  that  of  serving  the  Orleans  Princes. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  relate  all  of  the  series  of 

[  139] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

anxieties  and  discouragements  through  which  we 
passed  during  the  month  of  January,  1793.  These 
events  belong  to  the  domain  of  history  and  have 
been  related  by  the  historians  in  the  light  of  their 
own  opinions.  My  only  idea  is  to  clear  the  memory 
of  my  father  from  the  odious  imputations  with  which 
they  have  not  hesitated  to  tarnish  his  honorable 
character.  He  only  saw  the  judges  of  Louis  XVI 
with  the  hope  of  saving,  if  not  the  liberty,  the  life 
of  the  King;  and  the  very  morning  of  his  sentence, 
he  thought  it  certain  that  a  vote  of  imprisonment 
until  the  end  of  the  war  was  assured.  During  this 
memorable  meeting,  we  remained  at  home  in  a  state 
of  anxiety  which  no  words  can  express.  When  the 
sentence  was  known  and  we  had  left  my  father,  we 
still  hoped  that  an  insurrection  would  break  out. 

The  morning  of  the  twenty-first  of  January,  the 
gates  of  Paris  were  closed  with  orders  to  make  no 
reply  to  those  who  demanded  the  reason.  We  under- 
stood the  meaning  of  this  only  too  well,  and  my 
husband  and  I,  leaning  out  of  the  window  of  our 
house,  which  overlooked  Paris,  listened  for  the  sound 
of  musketry  which  would  bring  to  us  the  hope  that 
so  great  a  crime  would  not  be  committed  without 
opposition.  In  a  state  of  stupor,  we  hardly  dared  to 
address  a  word  to  each  other.  Alas,  the  greatest 
silence  continued  to  reign  in  the  regicidal  city.  At 
half-past  ten,  the  gates  were  opened  and  everything 
resumed  its  ordinary  course.  A  great  nation  had 
stained  its  annals  with  a  crime  for  which  the  centu- 
ries would  reproach  it,  and  not  even  the  course  of 
life  had  been  changed. 

[140] 


FLIGHT  TO   I^ORDEAUX 

We  set  out  on  foot  for  Paris,  and,  taking  care  not 
to  traverse  the  Place  Louis  XV,  we  went  to  the 
liouseof  my  father,  then  to  that  of  Mme.  de  Montes- 
son,  and  later  to  Mme.  de  Poix. 

Returning  at  an  early  hour  to  Passy,  we  found  at 
our  house  Mathieu  de  Montmorency  and  the  Abbe 
de  Damas.  Both  of  them  had  been  on  the  place  of 
execution  with  their  battalion  of  the  National  Guard. 
Having  compromised  themselves  by  some  remarks, 
they  had  left  Paris  from  the  fear  of  being  arrested 
and  had  come  to  demand  that  we  should  conceal 
them  until  they  could  leave  or  return  home.  They 
were  afraid  of  a  visite  domiciliaire,  the  first  sign  of 
trouble,  which  generally  preceded  by  some  months 
the  arrest  of  people  who  were  suspected.  In  these 
visits  papers  of  every  kind  were  seized  and  taken 
to  the  Section,  where  often  the  most  secret 
correspondence  served  as  a  pastime  for  the  young 
members  of  the  National  Guard  who  were  on  duty 
that  day. 

About  the  middle  of  March,  my  father-in-law  was 
arrested  at  La  Tuilerie  and  conducted  to  the  Com- 
mune of  Paris.  After  answering  many  questions,  he 
was  released.  Being  more  disturbed  over  the  fate  of 
his  son  than  over  his  own  danger,  he  decided  that 
we  ought  to  retire  to  Le  Bouilh,  whence  my  husband 
would  be  able  to  reach  Vendee  or  with  us  to  escape 
to  Spain.  This  plan  seemed  the  more  feasible,  as  our 
excellent  friend.  Monsieur  de  Brouquens,  had  been 
living  at  Bordeaux  during  the  past  year.  In  this  city, 
as  Food  Director,  he  was  in  charge  of  the  supplies 

Chi] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

for  our  army  which  was  waging  war  in  Spain.  We 
therefore  resolved  to  set  out.  I  left  my  father  with 
the  most  profound  emotion,  although  I  was  far  from 
thinking  that  I  was  embracing  him  for  the  last  time. 
The  difference  between  our  ages,  hardly  nineteen 
years,  was  so  little,  that  he  seemed  to  me  more  like 
a  brother  than  like  a  father.  He  had  an  aquiline  nose, 
a  very  small  mouth,  large  black  eyes  and  light  chest- 
nut hair.  His  tall  figure,  his  handsome  face  and  his 
superb  form  gave  him  all  the  appearance  of  youth. 
No  one  could  have  had  more  noble  manners,  nor  a 
greater  air  of  grand  seigneur.  He  was  my  best  friend 
and  at  the  same  time  the  comrade  of  my  husband. 

My  father-in-law  was  impatient  to  have  us  far 
from  Paris  and  urged  us  to  set  out  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  first  day  of  April,  1793,  we  were  on  our  way.  It 
had  been  decided  that  we  should  make  short  journeys 
on  account  of  the  state  of  my  health. 

We  finally  arrived  at  Le  Bouilh  towards  the  mid- 
dle of  April,  and  I  experienced  great  joy  in  finding 
myself  in  this  place  so  dear  to  my  poor  father-in- 
law.  He  had  diminished  his  fortune  by  the  embel- 
lishments which  he  had  made  and  by  the  buildings 
which  he  had  constructed.  The  four  months  which 
we  passed  there  have  remained  In  my  memory,  and 
above  all  in  my  heart,  as  the  pleasantest  of  my  life. 
There  was  a  fine  library  and  my  husband,  who  could 
read  for  hours  without  fatigue,  consecrated  our  even- 
ings to  a  course  of  history  and  literature  which  was  as 
interesting  as  It  was  instructive.  Our  happiness  was 
without  a  cloud  and  more  complete  than  at  any  other 
moment  of  our  past  life  together. 

[  142  ] 


FLIGHT  TO   BORDEAUX 

The  city  of  Bordeaux,  controlled  by  the  Girondins, 
was  In  a  state  of  semi-revolt  against  the  Convention. 
Many  of  the  Royalists  had  taken  j)art,  in  the  hope  of 
leading  the  Departments  of  the  Midi,  and  above  all 
those  of  the  Gironde,  to  join  in  the  movement  which 
had  broken  out  in  the  Departments  of  the  West. 
But  Bordeaux  was  far  from  possessing  the  energetic 
courage  of  the  Vendee.  There  had  been  organized  In 
the  city  an  armed  troop  of  eight  hundred  or  one 
thousand  young  men  of  the  first  families.  The  insti- 
gators of  this  movement  had  only  one  end  in  view, 
namely:  to  declare  their  independence  of  Paris  and 
of  the  Convention  and  establish  on  the  model  of  the 
United  States  a  federal  government  in  the  south  of 
France.  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  went  to  Bor- 
deaux where  he  saw  the  chiefs  of  this  projected 
federation  and  returned  disgusted  with  his  interview. 

At  the  end  of  the  summer,  we  began  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  the  municipality  of  Saint- And re-de-Cub- 
zac.  The  possibility  of  a  visite  domiciliaire  or  the 
establishment  of  a  garrison  in  the  Chateau  frightened 
my  husband.  My  father-in-law  had  just  been  ar- 
rested. Seals  had  been  placed  upon  the  Chateau  of 
Tesson  near  Saintes,  and  the  Department  of  Cha- 
rente-Infcrieure  had  arbitrarily  taken  possession  for 
their  offices  of  the  fine  mansion  which  we  possessed 
at  Saintes.  Under  these  conditions  it  seemed  to  us 
prudent  to  accept  the  proposition  of  our  excellent 
friend,  Monsieur  de  Brouquens,  to  go  and  settle  in 
a  small  house  which  he  possessed  at  a  quarter  of  a 
league  from  Bordeaux.  This  house,  named  Canoles, 

[143] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

offered  every  kind  of  security.  It  was  isolated  in  the 
midst  of  a  vineyard  surrounded  on  three  sides  by 
parish  roads  leading  in  different  directions,  and  on 
the  fourth  side  by  an  extensive  moor.  No  village  was 
to  be  found  in  the  environs,  and  all  this  part  of  the 
country,  called  Haut-Brion,  comprised  an  agglomera- 
tion of  properties,  larger  or  smaller,  planted  with 
vines  and  almost  all  contiguous.  Accordingly,  on  the 
first  of  September,  1793,  we  went  to  establish  our- 
selves at  Canoles.  Here  Monsieur  de  Brouquens  came 
to  dine  with  us  every  day. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  the  delicate  state  of  my 
health,  we  would  have  perhaps  set  out  for  Spain. 
Admitting,  however,  that  this  departure  was  possible 
it  would  have  been  necessary  for  us  to  pass  through 
the  entire  French  army. 

The  morning  of  the  thirteenth  of  September,  the 
Revolutionary  Army  entered  Bordeaux.  Less  than 
an  hour  later  all  the  federal  chiefs  were  arrested  and 
imprisoned.  The  Revolutionary  Tribune  Immediately 
began  its  sessions,  and  during  a  period  of  six  months 
there  was  not  a  day  passed  which  did  not  see  the 
death  of  some  innocent  person.  A  guillotine  was 
permanently  established  upon  the  Place  Dauphine. 

During  the  course  of  these  events  was  born  my 
little  girl  who  was  named  Seraph ine,  after  her  father. 
An  hour  after  her  birth  my  husband  was  obliged  to 
leave  us  to  seek  a  place  of  safety. 

Monsieur  de  Brouquens  had  hardly  returned  to  his 
house  in  Bordeaux  when  they  came  to  arrest  him 

C  1443 


FLIGHT  TO   BORDEAUX 

and  conduct  him  to  prison.  He  protested  that  he 
was  charged  with  the  details  of  the  administration  of 
the  suppHes  for  the  army  fighting  in  Spain,  that  his 
arrest  would  greatly  compromise  this  service  and  in 
consequence  would  be  strongly  disapproved  of  by  the 
general-in-chief.  These  good  reasons  determined  the 
representatives  of  the  people  to  place  him  under 
arrest  in  his  own  house.  It  was  indeed  a  kind  of  im- 
prisonment, because  he  was  not  able  to  go  out,  but 
he  had  the  liberty  of  a  house,  which  was  very  large, 
with  several  means  of  escape  in  case  the  danger  be- 
came too  imminent.  The  twenty-five  men  of  the  garde 
bourgeoise  stationed  at  his  door  were  almost  all  from 
his  quarter  and  under  some  kind  of  obligation  to  him. 
His  goodness  and  kindness  were  very  great  and  he 
was  adored  in  Bordeaux. 

It  was  necessary,  however,  for  him  to  board  these 
twenty-five  men  the  whole  time  that  he  was  under 
arrest,  which  was  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
winter.  Every  day  the  guards  were  changed. 

The  night  following  the  arrest  of  Monsieur  de 
Brouquens,  about  midnight,  when  he  was  about  to  go 
to  bed,  a  municipal  oflficer,  followed  by  the  chief  of 
his  section  and  several  guards,  presented  themselves 
at  his  house  and  summoned  him  to  follow  them  to 
Canoles  where  they  wished  to  examine  his  papers. 
His  trouble  and  embarrassment  were  extreme.  He 
knew  that  my  name,  my  rank  in  the  world,  the  situa- 
tion of  my  father-in-law  who  had  just  been  con- 
fronted with  the  Queen  at  Paris,  were  so  many 
motives  for  proscription.  My  fate  seemed  to  him 
certain,  and  he  was  in  despair  in  thinking  of  my  hus- 

[145] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

band  who  had  confided  me  to  his  care  and  whom  he 
tenderly  loved.  He  could  not  think  of  any  means  of 
avoiding  the  fate  with  which  I  seemed  to  be  menaced. 
Fortunately,  among  the  members  of  his  guards  there 
was  one  who  was  very  much  attached  to  him.  Divin- 
ing his  perplexity,  of  his  own  accord,  he  came  to  give 
the  alarm. 

I  was  sleeping  quietly  when  suddenly  I  felt  myself 
shaken  by  a  faithful  old  woman,  who,  in  tears  and  as 
pale  as  death  cried:  ''Here  are  the  coupe-tetes  who 
are  coming  to  search  and  attach  the  seals.  We  are 
all  lost!"  In  saying  these  words,  she  pushed  under 
my  pillow  a  large  packet  and  disappeared  as  sud- 
denly as  she  had  come.  I  felt  of  the  package  and  recog- 
nized that  it  was  a  sack  containing  five  or  six  hundred 
louis,  of  which  Monsieur  de  Brouquens  had  spoken 
to  me,  and  which  he  kept  in  reserve,  in  case  of  urgent 
necessity,  either  for  himself  or  for  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  or  me.  This  bag  of  money  was  not  re- 
assuring. Nevertheless,  I  did  not  dare.  In  taking  it 
from  Its  hiding  place,  to  let  It  be  seen  by  the  girl  who 
was  caring  for  my  child.  Not  only  was  I  suspicious 
of  her,  but  the  physician  had  discovered  that  she 
was  playing  the  role  of  a  spy. 

A  half  an  hour  later,  the  visitors  arrived.  After 
carefully  examining  the  exterior  of  the  house,  they 
entered  the  salon.  The  blood  froze  In  my  veins  when 
I  thought  of  all  the  dangers  to  which  I  was  exposed. 
Every  moment  I  expected  to  hear  a  hand  placed  upon 
my  door.  Finally,  I  distinctly  heard  some  one  ask: 
"Who  is  in  this  room?"  Monsieur  de  Brouquens 
replied  in  a  whisper  and  I  could  not  hear  the  words. 

C  146  ] 


FLIGHT  TO   BORDEAUX 

Later  he  explained  to  me  that  the  inspiration  had 
come  to  him  to  state  that  a  young  girl,  whom  some 
friends  had  conlided  to  him,  was  in  the  room  and 
that  she  was  in  a  delicate  condition  and  very  ill.  No 
one  entered  my  room,  and  at  the  end  of  two  hours, 
after  having  drunk  and  eaten  everything  there  was 
in  the  house,  they  went  away,  taking  their  prisoner 
with  them. 

I  remained  alone  at  Canoles  with  my  worthy 
physician,  who  commenced  to  feel  reassured,  although 
all  danger  had  not  passed. 

Every  evening  upon  my  request  the  good  doctor 
read  the  papers  to  me.  The  news  then  was  something 
terrible,  and  became  even  more  so  for  me  when  we 
found  the  report  of  the  confrontation  of  my  worthy 
father-in-law  with  the  Queen.  In  these  reports  was 
described  the  w  rath  of  Fouquier-Tinville  when  Mon- 
sieur de  La  Tour  du  Pin  continued  to  name  her  "The 
Queen,"  or  "Her  Majesty,"  instead  of  "Femme 
Capet,"  as  the  public  prosecutor  wished.  My  fear 
reached  its  height  when  I  learned  that  in  answer  to 
the  question  as  to  where  his  son  was.  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  had  replied  with  simplicity  that  he 
was  on  his  estate,  near  Bordeaux.  The  result  of  this 
reply  was  an  order,  sent  the  same  day,  to  Saint- 
Andrc-de-Cubzac,  to  arrest  my  husband  and  send 
him  to  Paris. 

He  was  at  Le  Boullh,  and  there  was  only  an  hour 
to  save  him.  Fortunately,  in  anticipation  of  this 
eventuality,  and  under  the  pretext  of  having  a  farm 
to  visit,  he  kept  quite  a  good  horse  ready  in  the 
stable.  Disguising  himself  as  well  as  possible,  he  set 

C147] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

out  with  the  intention  of  gaining  the  estate  of  Tesson, 
near  to  Saintes,  and  conceahng  himself  in  the  Chateau. 
The  house  was  under  sequestration  but  was  in  charge 
of  an  excellent  care-taker  and  his  wife.  He  was  not 
short  of  money  as  he  had  from  10,000  to  12,000  francs 
in  assignats.  He  rode  all  night  long.  The  weather  was 
terrible.  The  rain  fell  in  torrents  and  the  thunder  did 
not  cease  to  rumble.  The  flashes  of  lightning  blinded 
and  frightened  his  horse  who  was  quite  a  lively  beast. 
In  leaving  Saint-Genis,  upon  the  route  from  Blaye 
to  Saintes,  a  man  who  was  standing  before  a  small 
house  addressed  him.  "What  weather,  citizen!  Would 
you  like  to  enter  and  let  the  storm  pass.'"  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  consented.  He  dismounted  and 
tied  his  horse  to  a  little  shed,  situated  fortunately 
for  him,  as  you  will  see  later  on,  very  near  to  the 
door.  He  entered  the  house  where  he  found  an  old 
man  occupying  the  corner  of  the  fire-place.  A  quarter 
of  an  hour  passed  in  conversation  upon  the  dearness 
of  grains  and  cattle.  At  this  point  the  individual  who 
had  been  seated  near  the  fire  issued  from  the  house 
and  returned  ten  minutes  later  wearing  a  scarf.  It 
was  the  Mayor.  "Citizen,  you  undoubtedly  have  a 
passport,"  he  said  to  my  husband.  "Why  certainly," 
replied  the  latter.  "No  one  travels  without  that." 
So  saying,  my  husband  produced  a  false  passport  in 
the  name  of  Gouvernet,  of  which  he  had  made  use 
in  going  and  coming  between  Saint-Andre  and 
Bordeaux.  "But,"  declared  the  Mayor,  after  exami- 
nation, "your  passport  has  no  vise  to  go  into  Charente- 
Inferieure.  Remain  here  until  morning.  I  will  consult 
the  Municipal  Council."  Then  he  resumed  his  place, 

C148] 


FLICillT  TO    l^ORDEAUX 

My  husband  felt  that  he  was  lost  if  he  did  not  take 
his  courage  in  both  hands.  During  this  conversation 
the  master  of  the  house,  who  appeared  to  be  very 
much  bored,  had  approached  the  opened  door,  and 
now  remarked  in  a  loud  tone,  as  though  speaking  to 
himself:  '*Ah!  the  weather  has  all  cleared  up."  My 
husband  at  that  time  was  only  thirty-four  years  of 
age,  was  extremely  quick,  and  could  rival  in  point 
of  address  the  most  practised  horseman.  After  hear- 
ing the  above  remark  of  the  master  of  the  house,  he 
arose  quietly  and  approached  the  door  which  had 
remained  open.  Extending  his  arm  out  in  the  ob- 
scurity of  the  night,  he  unfastened  the  bridle  of 
his  horse.  In  a  single  bound  he  was  on  the  back 
of  the  horse  and,  putting  the  spurs  to  him,  had 
escaped  before  the  poor  Mayor  had  had  the  time 
to  leave  his  seat  beside  the  fire  and  reach  the  door 
of  the  house. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  did  not  dare  to  pass 
through  Pons  where  there  was  a  fair  during  the  day. 
He  stopped  at  Mirambeau  with  the  former  groom  of 
his  father,  who  inhabited  this  locality  and  in  whom 
he  had  confidence.  This  man  had  a  little  inn  and 
conducted  a  stage  which  went  to  Saintes  once  a  week. 
Tetard,  which  was  his  name,  offered  to  conceal  him, 
but  he  had  young  children,  and  was  afraid  of  their 
indiscretion.  He  therefore  proposed  to  my  husband 
to  demand  an  asylum  with  his  brother-in-law,  a  rich 
locksmith,  who  was  married  but  had  no  children. 
The  latter  consented,  upon  the  payment  of  quite  a 
large  sum,  and  the  bargain  was  concluded.  My  hus- 
band was  hidden  at  the  house  in  a  closet  without 

C  149] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

windows,  connected  with  the  bedroom  which  was 
also  used  as  a  kitchen. 

I  have  since  visited  this  horrible  hole.  A  thin  floor- 
ing alone  separated  it  from  the  shop  where  the  em- 
ployes worked  and  where  were  situated  the  forge  and 
laellows.  When  the  locksmith  and  his  wife  left  their 
room  they  always  took  away  the  key,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  my  husband  to  remain  stretched  upon 
his  bed  and  not  make  the  slightest  noise.  They  had 
also  recommended  to  him  not  to  have  any  light  from 
fear  that  it  might  be  perceived  from  without,  but,  as 
soon  as  the  shop  was  closed,  my  husband  descended 
to  supper  with  the  man  and  his  wife.  The  groom  often 
brought  news,  frequently  newspapers  and  also  books 
which  he  went  to  Tesson  to  obtain. 

It  was  In  this  way  that  my  poor  husband  passed 
the  first  three  months  of  our  separation.  The  post- 
master of  Salntes,  upon  whose  devotion  he  could 
count,  advised  him  to  go  to  Vendee,  but  aside  from 
the  extreme  difficulty  of  passing  through  the  lines 
of  the  Republican  troops,  my  husband  was  not  willing 
to  go  there  under  an  assumed  name,  and,  by  rejoining 
openly  the  Vendeens,  he  would  have  only  made 
certain  the  death  of  his  father  and  myself. 


C150] 


CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 

1793-1794 
LIFE  AT  BORDEAUX 

The  Seals  at  Le  Bouilh. —  Refuge  at  Bordeaux  with  Bonle. — 
The  Pain  de  la  Section. —  The  Queue  at  the  Door  of  the 
Butchers  and  Bakers. —  Arrest  of  the  English  and  Ameri- 
cans.—  A  Belle  Grisette. —  Unexpected  Protection. —  Mme. 
Tallien. —  Interview  with  Tallien. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  Takes  Refuge  at  Tesson. —  New  Flight. — Return 
to  Tesson. —  The  Cartes  de  Surete. 

A  MEMORANDUM  had  been  presented  to 
the  municipality  of  Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac 
going  to  show  that  the  estate  of  Le  Bouilh 
was  a  royal  domain.  Without  any  further  informa- 
tion, the  commissioners  were  sent  to  Le  Bouilh 
where  they  placed  the  seals  with  such  prodigality 
that  there  was  not  a  single  door  which  could  be 
opened.  However,  an  excellent  girl  w^hom  I  had  left 
at  the  Chateau  had  already  concealed  the  most 
valuable  effects  which  I  had  there,  in  the  way  of 
linen  and  so  forth,  and  brought  them  to  me  at 
Bordeaux  each  week  in  small  packets. 

About  this  time  I  began  to  fear  that  my  prolonged 
sojourn  with  Monsieur  de  Brouquens  was  attracting 
too  much  attention.  Above  all,  I  feared  that  my 
presence  at  his  house  would  end  by  compromising 
him.   This   situation  was  often  the   subject  of  my 

[iSi] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

conversations  with  a  relative  of  Monsieur  de  Brou- 
quens,  Monsieur  de  Chambeau,  who  was  himself 
suspected  and  obliged  to  hide.  He  had  found  a  very 
retired  place  of  refuge  with  an  individual  who  kept 
a  little  obscure  hotel,  Place  Puy-Paulin.  This  in- 
dividual, young  and  active,  a  widower  with  a  single 
child  whom  he  had  confided  to  his  mother-in-law, 
lived  entirely  alone  in  this  hotel  with  a  single  domestic. 
This  man,  whose  name  was  Bonie,  pretended  to  be 
a  furious  demagogue.  He  wore  a  vest  of  coarse  plush, 
called  carmagnole,  sabots  and  a  sabre.  He  went  to  the 
meetings  of  the  Section,  to  the  Jacobins'  Club  and 
"thoued"  every  one. 

Monsieur  de  Chambeau  spoke  to  him  of  my  anxie- 
ties. I  did  not  know  where  I  could  retire.  My  hus- 
band was  in  flight,  my  father  and  father-in-law  were 
prisoners,  my  house  had  been  seized  and  my  only 
friend.  Monsieur  de  Brouquens,  was  under  arrest  at 
his  own  house.  At  twenty-four  years  of  age,  with  two 
little  children,  what  was  to  become  of  me  ? 

Bonie  came  to  see  me  at  Canoles  and  was  Interested 
in  my  sad  situation.  He  proposed  that  I  take  refuge 
with  him.  His  house  was  vacant  and  Monsieur  de 
Brouquens  advised  me  not  to  reject  his  offer.  I  there- 
fore accepted.  He  gave  me  an  apartment  which  was 
very  sombre  and  very  dilapidated,  with  an  outlook 
upon  a  little  garden.  Here  I  Installed  myself  with  my 
two  children,  their  nurse  and  my  dear  Marguerite, 
who  was  continually  tormented  by  a  fever  which 
nothing  seemed  to  cure.  My  negro,  Zamore,  passed 
for  a  free  black  who  was  awaiting  the  moment  to 
join  the  army. 

C'Sa] 


I 


LIFE   AT   BORDEAUX 

The  location  of  my  own  apartment  enabled  me  to 
enjoy  my  music,  without  the  danger  of  being  over- 
heard. As  I  was  alone  a  great  deal  of  the  time,  this 
was  a  great  distraction  for  me.  I  knew  a  very  good 
music  teacher  named  Ferrari,  of  Italian  origin,  who 
had  stated  and  also  proved  to  me  that  he  was  an 
agent  of  the  Royal  Princes.  He  was  very  spirituel 
and  original  and  had  much  talent. 

My  room  which  was  quite  large  was  reached 
through  a  kind  of  wood-house  in  which  I  had  had 
piled  up  a  large  lot  of  wood  which  had  been  brought 
from  Le  Bouilh,  unknown  to  the  guardian  there. 
This  wood  was  brought  by  our  peasants  who  took 
it  in  my  interest.  A  woman  of  the  country,  who  was 
entirely  devoted  to  us,  also  came  to  Bordeaux  twice 
a  week  to  sell  vegetables.  She  led  a  donkey  which 
bore  paniers  half-full  of  linen  and  clothing  which  were 
covered  with  cabbages  and  potatoes.  She  was  adroit 
enough  to  make  the  employes  of  the  octroi  believe 
that  these  objects  had  been  taken  from  enemies  of 
the  people.  Sometimes  she  made  them  a  present  of 
some  articles  and  brought  the  rest  to  me. 

My  husband  found  means  of  writing  me,  by  a  boy 
who  came  to  Bordeaux  each  week.  His  letter,  which 
was  without  address,  was  concealed  in  a  loaf  of 
bread  which  the  child  brought  to  the  Place  Puy- 
Paulin  ostensibly  for  the  nurse.  As  he  arrived  at  a 
fixed  hour,  the  cook  awaited  him  at  the  time  of  high 
tide.  This  poor  child,  fifteen  years  of  age,  was  ignorant 
of  the  subterfuge.  They  had  simply  told  him  that 
there  was  a  nurse  in  the  house  whom  the  physician 
had  forbidden  to  eat  the  bread  of  the  Section. 

[153: 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

This  -pain  de  i-^cizow  was  composed  ofall  kinds  of  flour, 
was  black  and  sticky,  and  one  would  hesitate  now  to 
give  it  even  to  the  dogs.  It  was  delivered  hot  from  the 
furnace,  and  every  one  was  forced  to  place  himself  in 
line  to  obtain  it.  It  was  a  very  singular  thing,  however, 
that  the  people  found  a  sort  of  pleasure  in  this  assem- 
blage. As  the  terror  under  which  they  lived  hardly 
permitted  them  to  exchange  a  word  with  those  whom 
they  met  in  the  street,  this  "queue"  represented,  so 
to  speak,  an  authorized  meeting  where  they  could 
speak  with  their  neighbors  and  learn  the  news  with- 
out being  exposed  to  the  imprudence  of  a  question. 

I  do  not  recall  under  what  circumstances  all  the 
English  and  American  merchants  residing  at  Bor- 
deaux were  arrested.  This  measure  gave  me  the  well- 
founded  fear  of  being  taken  for  an  Englishwoman, 
which  had  often  happened.  Bonie  was  seriously 
alarmed  and  advised  me  no  longer  to  wear  a  hat 
when  I  went  out  during  the  day  but  to  dress  myself 
like  the  women  of  Bordeaux.  This  idea  of  disguise 
was  not  disagreeable.  I  ordered  some  brassieres  which 
were  well  suited  to  my  form,  very  slight  at  that  time, 
and  which  with  the  red  handkerchief  upon  my  head 
changed  me  so  completely  that  I  encountered  people 
of  my  acquaintance  without  being  recognized.  Mon- 
sieur de  Brouquens,  who  was  still  in  confinement, 
was  very  much  amused  at  the  comments  of  his 
twenty-five  guardians  upon  the  daily  visits  which  he 
received  from  the  helle  grisetie. 

Nevertheless,  my  position  at  Bordeaux  became 
more  perilous  from  day  to  day,  and  I  cannot  under- 

[154] 


LIFE   AT   BORDEAUX 

stand  now  how  I  escaped  dcatli.  I  was  advised  to 
endeavor  to  have  the  sequesire  of  Le  Bouilh  raised, 
but  any  manifestation  of  my  existence  seemed  to  me 
too  dangerous,  and  I  was  in  a  state  of  the  most 
desperate  uncertainty  when  Providence  sent  me  a 
special  protection. 

■;  Mme.  de  Fontenay,  who  was  then  called  Theresia 
Cabarrus,  arrived  at  Bordeaux.  Four  years  before  I 
had  met  her  once  at  Paris.  Mme.  Charles  de  Lameth, 
with  whom  she  had  been  a  pupil  in  a  convent, 
pointed  her  out  to  me  one  evening  in  coming  out  of 
the  theatre.  She  did  not  seem  to  me  at  the  time  to  be 
more  than  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age  and  only 
left  in  my  mind  the  remembrance  of  a  child.  It  was 
said  that  she  had  divorced  her  husband  to  preserve 
her  fortune,  but  it  was  rather  to  use  and  abuse  her 
liberty.  Having  met  Tallien  at  the  Baths  of  the 
Pyrenees,  he  had  rendered  her  some  kind  of  service 
of  which  I  am  ignorant,  which  she  had  rewarded 
with  an  unlimited  devotion  which  she  took  no  pains 
to  disguise.  She  had  come  to  Bordeaux  to  rejoin  him 
and  was  quartered  at  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre. 

On  the  day  following  her  arrival,  I  wrote  her  the 
following  note:  "A  lady  who  has  met  Mme.  de  Fon- 
tenay at  Paris,  and  who  knows  that  she  is  as  good  as 
she  is  beautiful,  requests  a  moment  of  interview.'* 
She  replied  verbally  that  this  lady  could  come  when- 
ever she  wished.  A  half  hour  later  I  was  at  her  door. 
When  I  entered,  she  came  to  me,  and  looking  me 
in  the  face  cried:  "Grand  Dieu!  Madame  de  Gou- 
vernet!"  Then  having  embraced  me  with  effusion, 
she  put  herself  at  my  service.  (This  was  her  expres- 

[155] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

sion.)  I  explained  to  her  my  situation.  She  considered 
it  more  dangerous  than  I  had  thought  it  myself  and 
declared  that  the  only  means  of  saving  myself  was 
to  fly  as  soon  as  possible.  I  told  her  that  I  could  not 
make  up  my  mind  to  leave  without  my  husband. 
She  said,  "You  must  see  Tallien.  He  will  advise  you 
as  to  the  course  to  adopt.  You  will  be  safe  here  as 
soon  as  he  knows  that  you  are  the  object  of  my 
interest."  I  determined  to  solicit  from  Tallien  the 
lifting  of  the  sequestre  of  Le  Bouilh  in  the  name  of  my 
children,  also  the  permission  to  retire  there  with 
them.  Then  I  left  her,  with  a  feeling  of  confidence 
from  the  interest  she  had  shown,  and  at  the  same  time 
asking  myself  why  she  was  interested  in  me. 

Mme.  de  Fontenay  was  then  not  more  than  twenty 
years  of  age.  A  more  beautiful  human  being  had 
never  issued  from  the  hands  of  the  Creator.  She  was 
a  perfect  woman.  All  her  features  bore  the  imprint  of 
the  most  regular  and  artistic  perfection.  Her  hair, 
black  as  ebony,  seemed  made  of  the  finest  silk,  and 
nothing  detracted  from  the  brilliancy  of  her  com- 
plexion which  was  clear  as  ivory.  An  enchanting  smile 
displayed  the  most  admirable  teeth.  Her  tall  form 
recalled  that  of  Diane  Chasseresse.  The  least  move- 
ments revealed  an  incomparable  grace,  while  her 
voice,  which  was  harmonious  and  slightly  marked 
with  a  foreign  accent,  exercised  a  charm  which  no 
words  can  express.  You  could  not  help  feeling  sad 
when  you  thought  that  so  much  youth,  beauty, 
grace  and  spirit  was  abandoned  to  the  man  who, 
every  morning,  signed  the  death  warrant  of  many 
innocent  persons. 

C156] 


LIFE  AT   BORDEAUX 

The  following  morning  1  received  from  Mme.  de 
Fontenay  this  message:  "This  evening  at  ten  o'clock." 
I  passed  the  day  in  a  state  of  agitation  difficult  to 
describe.  Arming  myself  with  all  my  courage,  at  nine 
o'clock  I  took  the  arm  of  Monsieur  de  Chambeau,  who 
was  more  alarmed  than  myself,  without  daring  to 
show  it.  He  conducted  me  to  the  door  of  Mme.  de 
Fontenay  where  he  left  me  with  the  promise  to  walk 
up  and  down  on  the  boulevard  until  the  moment 
when  I  came  out. 

Tallien  had  not  yet  arrived  and  the  moment  of 
waiting  was  full  of  anguish.  Mme.  de  Fontenay  could 
not  talk  with  me  as  there  were  several  persons  present 
whom  I  did  not  know.  Finally  we  heard  the  carriage, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  be  mistaken,  for  it  was  the 
only  one  which  rolled  in  the  streets  of  this  large  city. 
Mme.  de  Fontenay  went  out  and  returned  in  a 
moment.  She  took  my  hand  saying:  "He  awaits 
you."  If  she  had  announced  to  me  that  the  executioner 
was  there,  I  could  not  have  had  a  different  feeling. 
She  opened  a  door  upon  a  little  passageway,  at  the 
end  of  which  I  saw  a  lighted  room.  As  I  hesitated  in- 
voluntarily, Mme.  de  Fontenay  gave  me  a  push  in 
the  back,  and  said:  "Go  ahead!  Do  not  act  like  a 
child."  Then  she  turned  and  went  away,  closing  the 
door.  It  was  necessary  for  me  to  advance,  but  I  did 
not  dare  to  raise  my  eyes.  Nevertheless,  I  walked  to 
the  corner  of  the  chimney-piece,  upon  which  there 
were  two  lighted  candles.  Without  the  support  of 
the  marble  I  should  have  fallen.  Tallien  was  leaning 
on  the  other  corner.  He  said  in  a  voice  that  was  quite 
soft:  "What  do  you  wish  of  me?"  Then  I  stammered 

[157] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  request  to  be  allowed  to  go  to  our  country  estate 
of  Le  Boullh  and  that  the  seals  which  had  been  placed 
there  by  error  should  be  taken  from  the  property  of 
my  father-in-law,  with  whom  I  had  resided.  Brusquely 
he  replied  that  all  this  was  none  of  his  affair.  Then 
he  said:  "But  you  are  then  the  daughter-in-law  of 
this  man  who  was  confronted  with  the  woman 
Capet  ? .  .  .  And  you  have  a  father  .\  .  .  What  is  his 
name .? .  .  .  Ah !  Dillon,  the  General  ? ...  All  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Republic  will  pass  like  this,"  he  added, 
making  at  the  same  time  Xvith  his  hand  the  gesture 
of  cutting  off  a  head.  I  was  overcome  with  indignation 
which  gave  me  back  all  my  courage.  I  raised  my 
eyes  to  look  at  this  monster  whom  I  had  not  yet 
regarded.  Before  me  I  saw  a  man  of  twenty-five  or 
twenty-six,  with  a  fine  face  which  he  endeavored  to 
render  severe.  A  mass  of  blond  curls  escaped  from 
all  sides  under  a  large  military  hat  covered  with 
varnished  cloth  and  surmounted  by  a  tricolored 
plume.  He  was  dressed  in  a  long  tight  overcoat  of 
coarse  blue  cloth,  over  which  hung  a  sabre  by  a 
shoulder  belt  which  was  crossed  by  a  long  silk  scarf 
of  the  three  colors.  "I  have  not  come  here,  citizen," 
said  I,  "to  hear  the  sentence  of  death  of  my  family, 
and  since  you  cannot  accord  me  what  I  have  de- 
manded, I  must  not  trouble  you  longer."  At  the 
same  time  I  gave  him  a  slight  salute  with  my  head. 
He  smiled  as  if  to  say:  "You  are  very  rash  to  talk 
to  me  In  this  manner."  Then  I  went  out  by  the  door 
by  which  I  had  entered  without  going  again  to  the 
salon. 
On  my  return  home,  I  felt  that  my  position  was 

C158] 


LIFE  AT   BORDEAUX 

aggravated  ratlicr  than  helped.  If  Tallien  did  not 
help  me,  my  fate  appeared  to  me  certain. 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  winter,  the  locksmith 
\\ith  whom  my  husband  was  concealed  arrived  at 
Bordeaux  to  purchase  iron.  He  came  to  see  me  and 
I  showed  him  my  appreciation  and  my  confidence.  I 
also  let  him  see  my  children  so  that  he  would  be  able 
to  tell  their  father  that  he  had  found  them  in  good 
health.  He  was  a  good  peasant  of  Saintonge,  but  very 
simple  and  ignorant  and  understanding  nothing  of 
the  state  of  the  country.  He  could  not  comprehend 
why  they  were  able  to  eat  excellent  white  bread  at 
MIrambeau,  while  that  which  they  had  given  him 
that  morning  at  Bordeaux  was  so  black  that  his  dog 
would  have  refused  it.  While  waiting  for  the  tide  to 
turn,  so  that  he  could  return  to  Blaye,  he  walked  in 
Bordeaux,  and  unfortunately  passed  the  Place  Dau- 
phine  where  executions  were  taking  place.  A  lady 
mounted  the  scaffold  and  he  demanded  what  was 
her  crime.  "She  is  an  aristocrat,"  they  replied.  Soon 
he  saw  a  peasant  like  himself  called  upon  to  submit 
to  the  same  fate.  Again  he  demanded  the  reason  and 
it  was  explained  that  this  man  had  given  asylum  to 
a  nobleman  and  that  for  this  reason  only  he  was 
condemned  to  die  with  him. 

The  poor  man  forgot  what  had  brought  him  to 
Bordeaux.  He  set  out  to  return  on  foot,  and  on  his 
arrival  home  during  the  night,  he  at  once  announced 
to  my  husband  that  he  could  not  guard  him  for  an- 
other hour,  as  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  wife  were 
in  danger.  He  ran  to  wake  up  his  brother-in-law,  the 

[159] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

groom,  who  could  not  succeed  in  reassuring  him.  It 
was  decided  that  they  should  attach  a  horse  to  a 
little  chariot,  at  the  bottom  of  which  they  put  some 
straw  in  which  my  husband  was  concealed.  Then 
they  departed,  through  round-about  roads,  for  Tes- 
son,  the  chateau  of  my  father-in-law,  upon  which 
the  seals  had  been  placed,  but  to  which  the  concierge 
Gregoire  and  his  wife  had  a  secret  entrance.  One  of 
the  windows  of  the  pavilion  which  they  occupied 
looked  out  upon  the  road.  The  groom  rapped  at  a 
shutter,  which  they  opened,  and  my  husband  entered 
by  this  window,  and  was  received  by  these  worthy 
people  with  exclamations  of  pleasure.  He  was  in- 
stalled in  a  room  adjoining  their  own,  with  a  chimney 
in  common.  This  permitted  them  to  have  a  fire  every 
day  without  attracting  attention  without,  which  was 
very  much  appreciated  by  my  husband  who  was  very 
chilly. 

At  Tesson  there  was  an  excellent  library.  The  In- 
ventory of  this  and  also  of  the  furniture  of  the 
Chateau  had  not  yet  been  taken.  The  seals  had  been 
placed  only  upon  the  exterior  doors,  so  that  It  was 
possible  to  go  anywhere  in  the  house  as  long  as  the 
Venetian  blinds  were  not  opened.  My  husband  there- 
fore had  access  to  all  the  books  he  wished  to  read. 
He  even  found  means  of  withdrawing  papers  and 
old  correspondence  of  his  father,  the  publication  of 
which  would  have  been  disagreeable.  However,  he 
was  not  destined  to  enjoy  this  retreat,  which  was 
comparatively  comfortable,  without  trouble. 

At  the  end  of  seven  or  eight  days  orders  arrived 
at  the  municipality  of  Tesson  that  they  should  at 

[i6o] 


-!G  C©IT7E«TX©nfTXJCiTAifXI[En 


1757    -    1820 


LIFE   AT   BORDEAUX 

once  proceed  with  the  inventory  (;f  all  that  was  con- 
tained in  the  Chateau,  which  was  large  and  very  well 
furnished.  The  father  of  my  husband  had  inherited 
this  property  from  Monsieur  de  Monconseil,  his 
father-in-law,  who  had  lived  there  for  forty  years 
and  had  furnished  it  in  a  sumptuous  and  magnificent 
manner  of  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  This  inventory 
would  take  about  two  days  and  it  was  impossible  to 
expect  that  any  corner  of  the  Chateau  would  escape 
the  vigilance  of  the  visitors. 

Gregoire  did  not  disguise  his  fears  from  my  un- 
fortunate husband.  He  declared  that  he  did  not  know 
a  place  where  he  could  conceal  him,  or  a  person  in  the 
village  or  the  neighborhood  who  would  be  willing  to 
receive  him.  It  was  therefore  agreed  that  Gregoire 
should  go  to  Saintes  to  see  Boucher,  the  postmaster, 
a  former  ecuyer  of  Monsieur  de  Monconseil,  who  was 
very  much  attached  to  my  husband,  whom  he  had 
known  when  very  young  at  his  grandfather's,  and 
request  him  to  receive  the  fugitive  at  his  house. 
Gregoire  set  out  early  in  the  morning  on  foot  In  very 
bad  weather,  although  he  was  over  seventy  years  of 
age.  He  did  not  find  Boucher  at  home,  but  his  sister, 
who  was  equally  devoted  to  our  interests,  consented 
to  receive  my  husband  and  conceal  him  during  the 
absence  of  her  brother.  Gregoire  accordingly  returned 
to  Tesson  w  ithout  having  taken  any  rest.  That  very 
night  he  again  set  out  with  my  husband  for  Saintes, 
a  locality  where  there  were  no  walls  and  which 
was  consequently  accessible  by  byways  known  to 
Gregoire. 

I  have  omitted  to  say  before  that  I  had  sent  my 

[i6i] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

husband,  during  the  time  that  he  was  at  Mirambeau, 
a  complete  costume  of  a  peasant  of  the  Revolutionary 
period,  in  which  he  could  hardly  recognize  himself. 

Mile.  Boucher  received  him  very  well  but  with  an 
exaggeration  of  precautions  from  which  he  drew  the 
conclusion  that  the  shorter  the  time  he  remained  in 
the  house  the  better  she  would  like  it. 

The  inventory  at  Tesson  having  been  finished  at 
the  end  of  three  days,  it  was  possible  for  my  husband 
to  return. 


C162] 


CHAPTER   FIFTEEN 
1794 

DECISION  TO  LEAVE  FRANCE 

Alarming  Situation  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  Bordeaux 
and  of  Her  Husband  at  Tesson. —  Certificates  of  Residence 
with  Nine  Witnesses. —  Decision  to  Leave  for  America. — 
The  American  Vessel  "Diane." — ^Preparations  for  De- 
parture.—  On  the  Arm  of  Tallien. —  Passport  of  the  Citizen 
Latour. —  Anxiety  over  the  Delay. —  Return  of  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  How  He  Came  Back  from  Tesson. 

HOWEVER,  the  situation  became  more  alarm- 
ln{T  from  hour  to  hour.  Not  a  day  passed 
w  ithout  executions.  I  was  lodged  sufficiently 
near  the  Place  Dauphine  to  hear  the  drum,  the  roll 
of  which  marked  each  head  that  fell.  I  could  count 
them  before  the  evening  papers  told  me  the  names  of 
the  victims.  The  window  of  my  room  looked  out  on 
the  garden,  the  end  of  which  touched  an  old  church 
in  which  was  established  the  Club  of  the  Amis  du 
peuple,  and  when  the  evening  session  was  animated, 
the  applause  and  vociferations  of  the  miserable  crea- 
tures who  were  present  reaehed  even  to  my  room. 

The  news  which  I  received  of  my  husband  depicted 
his  situation  at  Tesson  as  most  precarious.  At  every 
moment  Gregoire  was  menaced  with  the  establish- 
ment in  the  Chateau  of  a  body  of  troops,  or  a  military 
hospital,  or  something  similar,  which  would  have 
obliged  my  husband  to  flee  again. 

C163] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  did  not  know  of  any  other  place  where  he  could 
be  in  greater  security.  I  could  not  think  of  recalling 
him  to  Bordeaux,  near  me,  on  account  of  the  girl  who 
took  care  of  my  child.  I  had  been  told  again  that  it 
was  impossible  to  trust  her.  Nevertheless,  I  did  not 
dare  to  send  her  away  for  fear  of  worse. 

Another  circumstance  had  proved  to  me  that  I 
was  not  forgotten  at  Bordeaux,  as  much  as  I  had 
hoped.  My  man-of-afifairs  had  written  me  from  Paris 
that  a  law  had  just  been  adopted  requiring  certificats 
de  residence  with  nine  witnesses,  and  that  it  was 
necessary  to  renew  these  certificats  every  three  months 
under  pain  of  the  confiscation  of  the  property  which 
you  possessed  in  the  communes  where  you  did  not 
reside.  I  had  a  house  at  Paris,  occupied  by  the 
Swedish  Ambassador,  and  an  income  from  the  State 
which  had  already  been  reduced  by  a  third.  It  was 
therefore  necessary  for  me  to  obtain  this  certificate. 
Bonie  took  charge  of  getting  together  the  nine 
witnesses,  none  of  whom  had  ever  seen  me  in  their 
lives,  but  who  were  willing  to  believe  his  word.  By 
arrangement,  we  went  to  the  municipality  one  morn- 
ing. Here  I  was  seated  near  the  fire  while  Bonie  had 
the  act  drawn  up  and  obtained  the  signatures  of  the 
witnesses.  Finally  the  moment  for  me  to  sign  arrived 
and  the  municipal  oflficer,  with  a  kind  of  respect 
which  astonished  me,  gave  me  a  chair  to  use  while 
signing.  Then  to  my  great  alarm  the  certificate  was 
read  from  one  end  to  the  other  in  a  loud  voice,  and 
at  the  name  of  Dillon,  one  of  these  rascals  interrupted 
by  saying:  "Ah!  ah!  the  citizeness  is  apparently  sister 
or  niece  of  all  the  emigres  of  this  name  whom  we 

[164] 


DECISION  TO  LEAVE   FRANCE 

have  upon  cnir  list?"  I  was  ^oing  to  rc'|)lv  in  the 
negative,  when  the  head  of  tlic  Bureau  said  brus(juely, 
"You  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking  about.  She 
is  not  even  their  relative."  I  looked  at  him  in  surprise, 
and  he  said  to  me  in  a  low  tone,  while  giving  me  the 
pen  to  sign:  ''You  are  the  niece  of  the  Archbishop 
of  Narbonne.  I  am  from  Soreze."  I  thanked  him  with 
a  slight  inclination  of  the  head,  but  I  thought  as  I 
went  away  that  it  was  necessary  to  leave  Bordeaux 
since  I  was  so  well  known. 

I  felt  at  the  end  of  my  resources.  T  saw  that  Bonie 
was  disturbed  over  my  fate.  Several  means  of  escape 
had  been  recognized  as  impossible.  Every  day  some 
one  was  executed  who  had  thought  he  was  in  safety. 
My  nights  were  passed  without  sleep,  as  I  thought 
at  every  noise  that  they  were  coming  to  arrest  me. 
I  hardly  dared  any  longer  to  leave  the  house.  I  was 
afraid  of  falling  sick  at  the  moment  when  I  never  had 
had  greater  use  for  my  health,  in  order  to  be  strong 
enough  to  act,  If  this  was  found  necessary.  Finally, 
one  morning,  going  to  see  Monsieur  de  Brouquens, 
who  was  still  under  arrest  at  his  house,  I  was  leaning 
pensively  upon  the  table,  when  my  eyes  were  me- 
chanically drawn  to  a  morning  paper  which  was  open. 
Here  I  read  under  the  commercial  news:  ''The  ship 
'Diane'  of  Boston,  150  tons,  will  leave  In  eight  days 
in  ballast  with  the  permission  of  the  Minister  of 
Marine."  Without  saying  a  word,  I  Immediately  got 
up  and  was  leaving  when  Monsieur  de  Brouquens 
raised  his  eyes  and  said:  "Where  are  you  going  then 
so  quickly?"  "I  am  going  to  America,"  I  replied 
as  I  went  out. 

[165] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  went  directly  to  see  Mme.  de  Fontenay  whom  I 
advised  of  my  resolution.  She  approved  of  my  plan, 
especially  as  she  had  just  had  bad  news  from  Paris. 
Tallien  had  been  denounced  there  by  his  colleague 
and  was  likely  to  be  recalled  at  any  moment.  This  re- 
call she  thought  would  probably  be  the  signal  for  a  new 
outbreak  of  cruelty  at  Bordeaux,  where  she  herself 
did  not  wish  to  remain  if  Tallien  left.  There  was  there- 
fore not  a  moment  to  lose  if  we  wished  to  be  saved. 

I  returned  to  my  house  and  called  Bonie,  to  whom 
I  said  that  it  was  necessary  to  find  me  a  man  in 
whom  he  had  confidence,  to  go  in  search  of  my 
husband.  He  did  not  hesitate  a  moment.  He  said: 
''The  commission  is  perilous,  but  I  know  a  man 
who  can  undertake  it,  and  that  man  is  myself."  He 
assured  me  that  he  would  succeed,  and  I  had  confi- 
dence in  his  zeal  and  his  intelligence.  He  hazarded 
his  life,  which  would  have  been  sacrificed  with  that 
of  my  husband  if  they  had  been  discovered ;  but  as 
in  this  case  my  own  would  not  have  been  spared,  I 
did  not  feel  any  scruples  in  accepting  his  proposition. 

I  did  not  lose  an  instant.  I  went  to  find  an  old 
ship-owner,  a  friend  of  my  father's,  who  was  also  a 
ship-broker.  He  was  very  devoted  to  me  and  agreed 
to  go  and  arrange  passage  on  the  ''Diane"  for  my- 
self, my  husband  and  our  two  children.  I  should 
have  liked  to  take  Marguerite  with  me,  but  for  a 
period  of  six  months  already  she  had  had  a  double 
intermittent  fever,  and  no  remedy  seemed  to  cure 
her.  I  was  afraid  that  a  sea  voyage  at  this  bad  season 
of  the  year,  as  we  were  in  the  last  days  of  February, 
might  be  fatal  to  her.  I  therefore  resolved  to  leave 

[166] 


DECISION  TO  LEAVE   FRANCE 

without  her.  When  I  returned  to  see  Monsieur  de 
Brouquens,  having  already  arranged  everything,  his 
surprise  was  very  great.  He  then  told  me  that  he 
had  just  been  restored  to  liberty  by  an  order  from 
Paris  and  that  he  was  counting  on  leaving  in  several 
days.  He  proposed  to  me  to  go  the  following  day  to 
Canoles  for  luncheon,  to  which  place  he  had  not  re- 
turned since  the  visite  doviiciliaire. 

Once  more  at  my  own  residence,  I  placed  my  confi- 
dence in  my  good  Zamore,  for  the  most  difficult 
thing  was  to  arrange  to  pack  our  effects  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  maid,  who  would  immediately  have 
denounced  us  to  the  Section.  She  slept  with  my  little 
girl,  then  six  months  of  age,  in  a  long  room  lined 
with  wardrobes  in  which  I  had  placed  all  the  things 
which  had  been  sent  me  from  Le  Bouilh,  as  well  as 
those  which  I  had  brought  from  there  myself,  when 
I  came  to  take  up  my  residence  at  Canoles.  This 
room  was  between  my  own  and  that  of  Marguerite. 
The  latter  had  an  exit  on  a  little  staircase  which 
descended  to  the  cellar.  Fortunately,  having  no  confi- 
dence in  this  maid,  I  had  always  kept  the  wardrobes 
closed.  I  therefore  arranged  with  Zamore  that  on  the 
following  morning,  while  I  was  at  Canoles,  where  I 
would  take  with  me  the  maid  and  the  children,  he 
should  get  out  all  my  things  and  take  them  down  to 
the  cellar  by  the  little  stairway,  and  there  pack  them 
in  the  boxes  which  he  would  find.  I  especially  charged 
him  not  to  leave  on  the  floor  even  a  piece  of  thread, 
the  sight  of  which  might  reveal  to  the  maid  that  the 
wardrobes  had  recently  been  opened.  He  executed 
this  commission  with  his  usual  intelligence. 

[167] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

The  next  day  I  went  in  company  with  Monsieur 
de  Chambeau  to  luncheon  at  Canoles  at  the  house 
of  Monsieur  de  Brouquens.  While  we  three  were  at 
the  table  the  gate  of  the  garden  opened  and  we  saw 
Mme.  de  Fontenay  enter  on  the  arm  of  Tallien.  My 
surprise  was  very  great  as  she  had  not  told  me  of  her 
plan.  Brouquens  was  stupified  but  soon  recovered 
himself.  As  for  myself  I  endeavored  to  conceal  my 
emotion  at  the  sight  of  a  man  who  had  entered  be- 
hind Tallien.  He  had  placed  a  finger  upon  his  lips 
on  looking  at  me,  and  I  immediately  turned  my  eyes 
away.  This  was  Monsieur  de  Jumilhac,  whom  I  knew 
well,  and  who,  concealed  at  Bordeaux  under  another 
name,  accompanied  Tallien.  The  latter,  after  a  polite 
remark  to  Brouquens  regarding  the  liberty  which  he 
had  taken  to  pass  through  his  garden  to  go  to  the 
house  of  the  Swedish  Consul,  came  to  me  with  the 
polite  bearing  of  a  seigneur  of  the  ancienne  cour, 
and  said  to  me  in  the  most  gracious  manner:  "I  am 
told,  Madame,  that  I  am  in  a  position  to-day  to 
repair  my  faults  with  regard  to  you.  I  am  entirely 
at  your  disposal."  Accordingly,  laying  aside  the  aii 
of  cold  disdain  which  I  had  formerly  assumed  towards 
him,  with  an  expression  sufficiently  polite,  I  explained 
that  having  some  pecuniary  interests  at  Martinique, 
I  desired  to  go  there  to  look  after  my  affairs,  and 
that  I  would  like  to  ask  him  for  a  passport  for  my- 
self, my  husband  and  my  children.  He  replied:  "But 
where  then  is  your  husband?"  I  said,  laughing, 
"Permit  me,  citizen  representative,  not  to  tell  you." 
"As  you  wish,"  said  he,  gayly.  The  monster  was  very 
amiable.  His  beautiful  mistress  had  threatened  to  see 

Ci68] 


DECISION  TO  LEAVE   FRANCE 

him  no  longer  ii  he  did  not  save  me,  and  this  menace 
had  enchained  his  cruelty  for  the  moment. 

After  several  minutes  of  conversation,  they  spoke  of 
going  to  the  house  of  the  Swedish  Consul.  I  excused 
myself  from  going  under  the  pretext  that  I  must  look 
after  my  children  whom  the  maid  had  brought  to 
Canoles.  But  Mme.  de  Fontenay,  looking  at  me  with 
her  big  black  eyes,  said:  "Venez  done!"  and  I  under- 
stood with  horror  what  was  about  to  happen.  She 
herself  took  the  arm  of  M.  de  Brouquens  and  Tallien 
offered  me  his.  I  do  not  know  how  to  express  what  I 
felt  at  this  moment.  If  only  my  own  life  had  been  in 
question,  and  if  that  of  my  husband  had  not  depended 
upon  my  taking  the  arm  which  he  offered  me,  I  should 
have  refused.  I  therefore  accepted  and  took  advan- 
tage of  the  moment  to  arrange  my  affair  definitely. 

The  poor  Swedish  Consul  and  his  charming 
daughter  were  more  dead  than  alive  at  receiving  this 
amiable  visit  from  the  representative  of  the  people. 
We  entered  the  billiard  room,  where  Tallien  played 
two  or  three  games,  including  one  with  poor  Brou- 
quens, who  missed  nearly  all  his  strokes,  although  he 
was  a  very  good  player. 

Finally  Tallien  declared  that  he  had  an  engage- 
ment and  that  he  was  obliged  to  leave.  He  took  out 
his  watch  and  looked  at  the  time.  ''You  have  there 
a  pretty  watch,"  said  Mme.  de  Fontenay.  "Yes,"  he 
replied.  "It  is  one  of  the  new  watches  of  Breguet  and 
is  worth  from  seven  to  eight  thousand  francs.  Would 
you  like  to  have  it?"  he  added  in  offering  it  to  her. 
"Ah!  merci!"  she  said,  as  if  he  had  offered  her  a 
flower,  and  taking  the  watch  she  put  it  in  her  bag. 

C169] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

This  incident  caused  me  a  profound  disgust,  for  it 
was  the  act  of  a  corrupted  courtisane. 

This  visit  finished,  we  returned,  Brouquens  and  I, 
to  Canoles,  for  Monsieur  de  Chambeau  had  concealed 
himself  upon  the  arrival  of  Tallien.  When  we  were 
alone,  the  alteration  in  the  face  of  Brouquens  struck 
miC.  He  threw  himself  upon  a  sofa  in  a  great  state  of 
agitation,  and  in  a  reply  to  my  question  as  to  the 
cause  of  his  trouble,  he  said :  "Alas,  you  saw  the  watch 
which  was  given  by  Tallien  to  Mme.  de  Fontenay. 
Well,  it  belonged  to  poor  Saige!  (The  name  of  the 
former  Mayor  of  Bordeaux,  an  intimate  friend  of  Brou- 
quens, and  one  of  the  first  victims  of  The  Terror  at 
Bordeaux.)  When  he  was  condemned  he  placed  this 
watch  upon  the  desk  of  the  tribunal,  saying:  *Take  it, 
I  do  not  wish  to  have  the  executioner  profit  by  it.' 
And  Tallien  took  it  and  put  it  in  his  pocket." 

It  is  easy  to  comprehend  the  repulsion  which  this 
recital  inspired  in  me.  I  would  like  to  believe  that 
the  citlzeness  Theresia  was  ignorant  of  this  fact  when 
she  accepted  the  present. 

Two  hours  after  my  return  to  Bordeaux,  Alexandre, 
the  secretary  of  Tallien,  brought  me  the  order  en- 
joining upon  the  municipality  of  Bordeaux  to  deliver 
a  passport  to  the  citizen  Latour  and  his  wife  with 
two  young  children,  to  go  to  Martinique  on  board 
the  ship  "Diane."  Once  furnished  with  this  precious 
paper,  It  only  remained  for  me  to  recall  my  husband 
to  Bordeaux,  for  the  American  captain  would  not 
have  been  willing  to  take  him  on  board  If  these  papers 
had  not  been  in  order. 

C  170] 


DECISION  TO  LEAVE   FRANCE 

This  journey  from  Tesson  to  Bordeaux  was  full  of 
difficulties  and  dangers.  As  I  have  already  said  above, 
l^onie  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  and  set  out  for 
Blaye  with  the  falling  tide.  He  had  already  procured 
a  regular  passport  for  himself,  for  without  that  he 
could  not  leave  the  department  and  enter  that  of 
Charente-Inferieure,  in  which  was  located  Tesson, 
ten  leagues  from  the  frontier  of  the  Gironde.  But  as 
soon  as  he  returned  to  the  Gironde,  a  simple  carte  de 
surete  would  be  sufficient  for  him  to  travel  anywhere 
in  the  department.  Bonie  had  indeed  his  personal  carte 
de  surete,  but  it  was  necessary  to  procure  one  for  my 
husband.  He  therefore  went  to  find  one  of  his  friends, 
who  for  the  moment  was  sick,  and  under  the  pretext 
that  he  had  mislaid  his  own  card,  he  borrowed  the  card 
of  his  friend  for  several  days.  Bonie  set  out  that  evening. 

I  had  calculated  the  moments  that  would  be  neces- 
sary to  accomplish  this  perilous  journey,  and  the 
third  day,  towards  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I 
thought  that  the  boat  which  came  every  day  from 
Blaye  with  the  tide  would  bring  to  me  the  travelers 
so  anxiously  awaited.  The  fever  of  impatience  which 
devoured  me  would  not  permit  me  to  remain  in  the 
house.  With  Monsieur  de  Chambeau  I  went  upon 
the  Chartrons  to  the  place  where  I  knew  the  Blaye 
boat  should  arrive.  The  darkness  was  so  profound 
that  it  was  impossible  to  see  the  water  in  the  river. 
I  did  not  dare  to  ask  for  any  information,  as  I  knew 
that  all  the  points  on  the  river  were  observed  by 
numerous  police  spies.  Finally,  after  a  long  wait,  we 
heard  the  clock  strike  the  hour  of  nine-thirty,  and 
Monsieur  de  Chambeau,  who  had  no  carte  de  surete, 

C171] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

remarked  to  me  that  we  had  only  a  half  hour  to  re- 
turn to  the  house  without  danger.  Having  lost  all 
hope  for  that  day,  I  returned  to  the  house  where  I 
passed  the  night  In  Imagining  with  anguish  all  the 
obstacles  which  might  have  delayed  Bonle  and  his 
unfortunate  companion. 

While  I  was  trembling  thus  with  anxiety  and  im- 
patience, my  husband  was  sleeping  quietly  upon  a 
comfortable  bed  prepared  for  him  by  Bonle  before 
his  departure.  In  one  of  the  unoccupied  rooms  of  the 
house.  In  the  morning  the  maid,  when  she  came  to 
dress  my  little  girl,  said  to  me,  with  an  Indifferent 
air:  "A  propos,  madame.  Monsieur  Bonle  est  la  qui 
demande  si  vous  etes  levee."  I  made  a  prodigious 
effort  not  to  cry  out,  and  the  reader  can  understand 
that  my  toilette  was  not  long.  Bonle  then  entered  and 
informed  me  that  they  had  arrived  too  late  at  Blaye 
to  take  the  ordinary  boat,  upon  which  my  husband 
also  might  have  been  recognized.  He  had  chartered 
a  fishing  bark,  and  the  wind  being  favorable  and  very 
strong,  he  had  set  out  with  his  companion  and  soon 
overtaken  and  then  passed  the  ordinary  boat.  They 
had  therefore  already  arrived  when  I  was  waiting  for 
them  in  a  state  of  despair  upon  the  bank  of  the  river. 

I  was  dying  with  impatience  to  enter  the  room 
where  my  husband  was  concealed,  but  Bonle  advised 
me  to  dress  as  if  I  were  going  out,  so  as  to  deceive 
the  maid.  Finally,  a  half  hour  later,  I  went  out  under 
the  pretext  of  doing  some  shopping,  and  Bonle  hav- 
ing rejoined  me,  he  conducted  me  by  a  secret  stair- 
case to  my  husband's  room.  It  was  thus  that  we  met 
after  six  months  of  the  most  painful  separation. 

[172] 


CHAPTER  SIXTEEN 

1794 
VOYAGE  TO  BOSTON 

Delivery  of  the  Passport. —  The  Vise  by  Ysabeau. —  Monsieur 
de  Fontenay  and  His  Wife's  Diamonds. —  Final  Prepara- 
tions.—  Adieux  to  Marguerite. —  Monsieur  de  Chambeau 
Accompanies  Us. —  Embarkment  on  the  "Diane." — The 
Boat  and  Its  Equipment. —  Off  the  Azores. —  The  Pilot. — 
The  Port  of  Boston. —  Joy  at  Arriving. 

I  HAVE  already  related  how  T  took  out,  two 
months  before,  a  certificate  of  residence  with 
nine  witnesses  under  the  name  of  Dillon  Gou- 
vernet.  It  was  now  necessary  to  go  and  obtain  a  pass- 
port under  the  name  of  Latour,  and  to  avoid  the 
name  of  Dillon  which  was  too  well  known  at 
Bordeaux,  I  decided  to  replace  the  name  of  Dillon 
with  that  of  Lee,  which  my  uncle  Lord  Dillon  had 
added  to  his  own  when  he  received  the  inheritance 
of  Lord  Lichfield,  his  great-uncle.  It  was  impossible 
to  draw  back.  The  bureau  of  passports  was  closed  at 
nine  o'clock  and  we  went  there  at  eight-thirty.  The 
date  was  the  eighth  of  March,  1794.  My  husband 
walked  quite  a  distance  ahead  with  Bonie.  I  followed, 
accompanied  by  a  friend  of  the  latter,  who  carried  in 
his  arms  my  little  girl,  six  months  of  age,  and  led  by 
the  hand  my  son  who  was  not  then  four  years  old. 
On  account  of  the  English  or  American  name  which 
I  wished  to  take,  I  was  dressed  as  a  lady,  but  very 

[  173  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

badly  gotten  up  and  wearing  an  old  straw  hat.  We 
entered  the  hall  of  the  Hotel  de  Ville  which  was  full 
of  people.  I  was  trembling  with  fear  lest  some  in- 
habitant of  Salnt-Andre-de-Cubzac  or  of  Bordeaux 
should  recognize  us.  We  therefore  took  care,  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  and  I,  to  keep  as  far  apart  from 
one  another  as  possible  and  to  avoid  the  lighted  part 
of  the  hall. 

Furnished  with  this  card,  we  ascended  to  the  bu- 
reau of  passports,  and  as  we  entered  we  heard  the 
employe  cry  out:  "That  is  enough  for  today,  the 
rest  tomorrow."  Any  delay  would  have  cost  our 
lives,  as  you  will  see.  Bonie  rushed  up  to  the  desk 
and  said:  ''If  you  are  tired,  citizen,  I  will  write  for 
you."  The  other  consented  and  Bonie  made  out  the 
collective  passport  for  the  Latour  family. 

As  soon  as  the  passport  was  signed,  we  took  it 
with  keen  satisfaction,  although  we  were  still  very 
far  from  being  saved.  It  had  been  arranged,  in  order 
that  we  should  not  both  be  found  In  the  same  house, 
and  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  passing  through  Bor- 
deaux the  following  morning  In  full  daylight,  that 
Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  should  pass  the  night 
with  the  Consul  of  Holland,  Monsieur  Meyer,  who 
lived  in  the  last  house  of  the  Chartrons,  and  who  was 
entirely  devoted  to  us.  Monsieur  de  Brouquens  was 
waiting  for  us  In  the  street  and  conducted  my  husband 
there.  As  for  myself,  after  having  taken  the  children 
back  to  the  house,  I  went  to  see  Mme.  de  Fontenay, 
where  I  expected  to  see  Talllen  who  had  to  vise  our 
passport.  I  found  her  in  tears.  Talllen  had  received 
the  order  of  his  recall  and  had  already  left  two  hours 

C174] 


VOYAGE  TO   BOSTON 

before.  She  herself  was  to  leave  in  the  morning  and 
she  did  not  conceal  from  me  her  fears  that  the  fe- 
rocious Ysabeau,  the  colleague  of  Tallien,  would 
refuse  to  vise  our  passport.  But  Alexandre,  the  secre- 
tary of  Tallien,  assured  us  that  he  would  obtain  the 
vise.  He  said  that  Ysabeau  always  signed  on  leaving 
the  theatre,  and  that  as  he  was  in  haste  to  have  his 
supper,  he  hardly  regarded  the  papers  which  were 
presented  to  him.  Providence  in  its  kindness  had 
wished  that  Ysabeau  should  demand  of  Tallien  to 
leave  with  him  his  secretary  Alexandre,  who  not  only 
was  very  useful  to  him  but  had  also  the  address  to 
render  himself  necessary. 

At  the  moment  that  I  entered  the  house  of  Mme. 
de  Fontenay,  Alexandre  left  to  go  and  get  the  signa- 
ture. He  took  the  passport  and  slipped  it  in  between 
a  number  of  others.  Ysabeau  who  was  very  much 
taken  up  that  day  with  the  arrival  of  his  new  col- 
league, whom  he  looked  for  in  the  morning,  signed 
without  paying  any  attention,  and  as  soon  as 
Alexandre  was  at  liberty  to  leave,  he  ran  to  Mme. 
de  Fontenay's  where  I  was  waiting  more  dead  than 
alive.  I  was  not  there  alone,  for  a  person  whom  I  did 
not  know  had  entered.  This  man  was  no  other  than 
Monsieur  de  Fontenay.  At  this  moment,  Alexandre 
arrived  holding  the  passport  unfolded  in  his  hand. 
He  was  so  out  of  breath  that  he  fell  on  a  chair  with- 
out being  able  to  articulate  more  than  the  words 
"Le  voila!"  Mme.  de  Fontenay  and  I  embraced  him 
with  all  our  hearts,  for  he  was  our  real  sauveur. 

Alexandre  was  getting  ready  to  leave  and,  as  it 
was  nearly  midnight,  I  also  prepared  to  leave  with 

[  175  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

him.  Mme.  de  Fontenay  kept  me  for  a  moment  by- 
saying  that  she  would  have  me  escorted,  but  that 
before  I  left  she  wished  to  show  me  something  very 
pretty.  I  followed  her  into  her  bedroom  where  Mon- 
sieur de  Fontenay,  who  was  still  silent,  accompanied 
us.  From  a  drawer  she  took  out  a  handkerchief  and 
laid  it  upon  the  table.  Then  opening  a  handsome 
jewel-case,  she  took  out  a  collection  of  diamonds  of 
the  greatest  magnificence  and  threw  them  upon  the 
handkerchief  pell-mell.  When  she  had  thus  emptied 
all  the  drawers  of  the  jewel-box,  without  leaving  the 
least  thing,  she  tied  up  the  ends  of  the  handkerchief 
and  handed  it  to  Monsieur  de  Fontenay  with  these 
words:  "Prenez  tout."  And  he  indeed  took  all  and 
went  out  without  opening  his  mouth.  I  showed  my 
great  surprise  and  she  replied  to  my  thought  by 
saying:  ''He  had  given  me  a  part;  the  rest  came 
from  my  mother.  He  also  is  leaving  tomorrow  for 
America." 

All  of  our  baggage  had  now  been  on  board  for 
three  days,  without  my  spy  having  imagined  that  all 
the  wardrobes  and  all  the  drawers  were  empty.  I 
paid  the  most  tender  adieux  to  my  maid.  Marguerite, 
whom  I  left  under  the  protection  of  Monsieur  de 
Brouquens.  Finally,  on  the  tenth  of  March,  taking  my 
daughter  Seraphine  in  my  arms  and  my  son  Humbert 
by  the  hand,  I  said  to  the  nurse  that  I  was  going  to 
take  them  to  the  Alices  de  Tourny,  which  at  this 
time  was  still  the  usual  promenade  for  children,  and 
that  I  would  be  back  in  an  hour  or  two.  Instead  of 
returning,  I  walked  towards  the  Glacis  du  Chateau- 

C176] 


nee  Theresia   CaBARRUS 
1773    -    1655 


VOYAGE  TO   BOSTON 

Trompette,  where  I  rejoined  Monsieur  de  Chambeau, 
to  whom  I  had  given  rendez-vous.  He  had  also  ob- 
tained passage  on  our  boat,  as  it  was  necessary  for 
poHtical  reasons  for  him  to  leave  the  city  with  the 
shortest  possible  delay.  I  found  him  at  Chateau- 
Trompette  accompanied  by  a  boy  carrying  his  port- 
manteau which  was  very  light.  He  took  the  hand  of 
Humbert  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  end  of  the 
Chartrons,  and  saw  the  boat  of  the  "Diane,"  we 
both  of  us  experienced  a  feeling  of  joy  such  as  one 
does  not  often  have  in  this  life. 

Monsieur  Meyer,  with  whom  my  husband  had 
passed  the  night,  was  awaiting  us.  We  found,  already 
at  luncheon,  the  good  Brouquens,  Mme.  de  Fontenay 
and  three  or  four  other  persons.  In  spite  of  all  of  our 
efforts,  the  famine  at  Bordeaux  was  so  great  that  we 
had  been  able  to  procure  very  few  provisions.  Several 
sacks  of  potatoes  and  of  beans,  a  small  box  of  pre- 
serves and  fifty  bottles  of  Bordeaux  wine  comprised 
all  our  riches.  Captain  Pease  had  several  casks  of 
biscuits,  but  they  were  eighteen  months  old,  as  he 
had  brought  them  from  Baltimore.  Monsieur  Meyer 
gave  me  a  little  bag  of  fresh  biscuits  which  I  kept  to 
make  soup  for  my  little  girl.  But  of  what  importance 
was  all  that  compared  to  the  fact  that  the  life  of  my 
husband  was  saved ! 

Mme.  de  Fontenay  was  overjoyed  at  her  success. 
Her  beautiful  face  was  bathed  with  tears  of  joy 
when  we  entered  the  boat.  She  has  since  told  me 
that  this  moment,  thanks  to  our  expressions  of 
gratitude,  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  of  which  she 
had  preserved  the  memory. 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

When  the  captain  was  seated  at  the  helm  and  cried 
"Off!"  a  feehng  of  indescribable  happiness  overcame 
me.  Seated  before  my  husband  whose  life  I  was  sav- 
ing, with  my  two  children  upon  my  knees,  nothing 
to  me  seemed  impossible.  Poverty,  work,  misery, 
nothing  was  difficult  with  him. 

The  boat  "Diane"  had  descended  with  the  pre- 
ceding tide  as  far  as  Bee  d'Ambez,  where  we  were  to 
rejoin  it.  We  had  received  orders  from  headquarters 
to  hail  a  ship  of  war  stationed  as  a  sentinel  in  the 
middle  of  the  river  at  the  entrance  of  the  port.  Our 
captain  prepared  to  submit  his  papers  and  our  pass- 
ports. This  was  a  dangerous  moment.  We  did  not 
dare  to  speak  French,  nor  to  look  up  towards  the 
bridge  of  the  war  vessel.  The  captain  alone  went  on 
board.  He  did  not  know  a  word  of  French  although 
he  had  spent  a  year  at  Bordeaux.  A  voice  from  the 
bridge  cried:  "Have  the  woman  come  up  to  serve  as 
interpreter."  I  was  struck  with  a  mortal  terror.  But 
our  captain  leaned  over  the  rail  and  told  me  not  to 
answer.  I  did  not  raise  my  eyes.  At  this  moment  a 
French  boat  in  great  haste  and  full  of  men  in  uniform 
approached.  The  captain  took  advantage  of  this 
diversion,  seized  his  papers,  jumped  into  the  boat 
and  we  rowed  away  as  fast  as  possible. 

At  last  we  found  our  little  vessel  the  "Diane" 
and  settled  ourselves  on  board  as  well  as  possible. 
The  second  falling  tide  took  us  in  front  of  Pauillac. 
There  we  had  again  to  receive  the  visit  of  two  other 
guard  vessels.  The  officers  who  came  on  board  were 
very  polite,  but  very  inquisitive. 

As  the  wind  was  absolutely  contrary  and  showed 

C  178 1 


voyac;e  to  boston 

no  signs  of  changing,  the  captain  proposed  to  us  to 
go  on  land  tor  dinner,  where  we  might  have  a  chance 
to  buy  some  articles  to  add  to  our  provisions.  Here 
we  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  recognized  by  a 
servant  who  served  the  dessert  and  who  thought  she 
recognized  my  husband.  It  was  therefore  with  a  feel- 
ing of  relief  that  we  found  ourselves  once  more  in 
the  cabin  of  the  *' Diane."  Fortunately  the  wind 
changed  and  the  following  day  we  left  behind  us  the 
Tour  de  Cordouan. 

The  little  brig  upon  which  we  had  embarked  was 
only  of  150  tons,  that  is  to  say  a  large  bark.  As  the 
cargo  was  composed  solely  of  our  twenty-five  boxes 
or  trunks,  the  boat  rolled  horribly.  My  maritime 
apprenticeship  was  very  painful. 

We  had  agreed  with  the  captain  regarding  our 
board,  but  he,  as  unfortunate  as  ourselves,  had  not 
been  able  to  procure  provisions  other  than  those 
which  had  been  furnished  by  the  marine  stores. 

At  the  time  of  our  departure  from  Bordeaux,  one 
of  the  four  sailors  had  had  a  terrible  fall  from  the  top 
of  the  mast  into  the  hold  and  was  out  of  service. 
Only  three  sailors  remained  to  manoeuvre  the  boat. 
The  crew  therefore  consisted  only  of  these  three 
sailors,  a  cabin  boy  who  acted  as  servant,  the  cap- 
tain, who  was  a  young  man  without  much  experience, 
the  mate,  who  like  himself  was  from  Nantucket,  and 
an  old  sailor  of  much  experience  named  Harper 
whom  the  captain  consulted  on  every  occasion. 

The  captain  had  a  little  room  which  he  occupied 
alone.  He  had  given  a  cabin  to  my  husband  and  to 

[  179] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

myself  and  another  to  Monsieur  de  Chambeau.  My 
husband  did  not  leave  his  bed  for  thirty  days.  He 
suffered  terribly  from  sea-sickness  and  also  from  the 
poor  food. 

At  the  time,  the  Americans  were  at  war  with  the 
Algerians,  who  had  already  captured  several  of  their 
vessels.  Our  captain  was  in  such  great  terror  of  these 
pirates  that  at  two  leagues  from  the  Tour  de  Cor- 
douan  he  set  his  course  towards  the  north  and  de- 
clared that  nothing  in  the  world  would  reassure  him 
before  he  was  to  the  north  of  Ireland. 

One  day  the  sailor  who  was  on  watch  upon  the 
deck  cried  out:  "French  man-of-war  ahead."  The 
captain  rushed  on  deck  and  at  the  same  time  ordered 
us  not  to  appear.  A  cannon  shot  was  heard.  It  was 
the  commencement  of  a  conversation  upon  which  de- 
pended the  question  of  our  life  or  death.  The  vessel 
announced  itself  as  French  by  displaying  its  flag.  We 
also  showed  our  flag,  and  after  the  usual  questions, 
we  heard  our  captain  reply,  for  we  were  not  able  to 
distinguish  the  questions  from  the  French  boat:  "No 
passengers;  no  cargo."  To  which  the  "Atalante"  re- 
plied: "Come  on  board."  Our  captain  said  that  the 
sea  was  too  rough.  Then  the  conversation  terminated 
with  a  word  from  the  French  vessel:  "Follow,"  and 
we  set  our  only  sail  and  with  submission  followed  in 
the  wake  of  the  French  vessel.  The  captain  on  de- 
scending said  to  us  gayly:  "In  another  hour  it  will 
be  night,  and  there  is  a  fog  coming  on."  Never  was  a 
fog  hailed  with  greater  joy.  We  soon  lost  sight  of  the 
frigate  in  the  darkness,  and  as  we  were  making  as 
little  sail  as  possible,  she  continued  to  gain  upon  us, 

[i8o] 


VOYAGE  TO   I30ST0N 

The  frigate  had  signalled  to  us  that  she  was  going 
into  Brest  and  wanted  us  to  follow.  As  soon  as  night 
fell,  we  took  the  route  directly  contrary,  and,  the 
wind  being  very  strong  and  favorable,  with  all  sails 
set,  we  laid  our  course  to  the  northwest,  without 
caring  whether  or  not  it  was  the  route  to  Boston, 
where  we  were  to  go. 

This  incident  threw  us  completely  out  of  our  course, 
and  we  experienced  thick  fogs  which  did  not  enable 
us  to  take  an  observation  for  a  period  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  days.  Provisions  commenced  to  run  short  and 
we  were  put  upon  a  ration  of  water.  We  encountered 
an  English  vessel  coming  from  Ireland  and  our  cap- 
tain went  on  board  and  returned  with  a  bag  of 
potatoes  and  two  small  pots  of  butter  for  myself  and 
children.  Having  compared  his  position  with  that  of 
the  English  captain,  he  found  that  we  were  fifty 
leagues  to  the  north  of  the  Azores.  On  learning  this, 
my  husband  prayed  him  to  put  us  on  the  shore  of 
the  Azores,  from  which  we  might  have  been  able  to 
gain  England,  but  the  captain  was  unwilling  to  do  so. 

Ten  days  followed  in  which  we  were  unable  to  take 
an  observation,  and  the  fog  was  so  dense  that  even 
upon  our  little  boat  we  could  not  see  the  bowsprit. 
The  captain  did  not  know  where  he  was.  Old  Harper 
assured  us  that  he  felt  land  breezes,  but  we  thought 
that  he  was  endeavoring  to  cheer  us  up.  Finally,  the 
twelfth  of  May,  1794,  at  daybreak,  as  the  weather 
was  warm  and  the  sea  calm,  we  were  on  deck  with 
the  children  to  breathe  the  fresh  air.  The  fog  was 
still  very  dense,  and  the  captain  declared  that  the 

[18.] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

land  was  still  at  a  distance  of  at  least  fifty  or  sixty 
leagues.  I  could  not  help  remarking,  however,  the 
nervousness  of  the  dog  —  a  black  terrier,  of  which 
I  was  very  fond  and  who  had  taken  a  great  fancy  to 
me.  The  poor  beast  rushed  forward  barking  and  then 
at  once  returned  to  me  and  licked  my  hands,  and 
then  repeated  the  same  action.  This  singular  per- 
formance had  already  lasted  for  an  hour  when  a 
little  pilot  boat  appeared  near  to  us  and  a  man  cried 
in  English:  "If  you  do  not  change  your  direction, 
you  are  going  to  run  onto  the  Cape."  A  cord  was 
thrown  to  him  and  he  sprang  on  board.  It  is  im- 
possible to  describe  the  joy  we  felt  upon  seeing  this 
pilot  from  Boston.  We  had  arrived  without  knowing 
it  at  the  entrance  of  this  magnificent  harbor,  of  whcih 
the  finest  lake  in  Europe  can  give  no  idea.  Leaving 
the  open  sea,  where  the  waves  were  breaking  with 
fury  over  the  rocks,  we  entered  by  a  narrow  passage, 
where  two  vessels  could  hardly  pass  at  the  same  time, 
Into  a  body  of  water  as  quiet  and  smooth  as  a  mirror. 
A  light  breeze  came  up  from  the  friendly  land  which 
was  to  receive  us. 

The  transports  of  my  son  cannot  be  described. 
For  a  period  of  sixty  days  he  had  heard  us  talk  of 
the  dangers  from  which,  thanks  to  Heaven,  we  had 
escaped.  The  remembrance  of  good  white  bread  and 
of  the  good  milk  of  other  days  often  troubled  his 
young  imagination.  When  he  saw  from  this  straight 
passage  by  which  we  were  entering,  the  green  fields, 
the  trees  and  flowers  and  all  the  beauty  of  the  most 
luxuriant  vegetation,  his  joy  was  unbounded.  Our 
own,  although  more  reasonable,  was  not  less  intense. 

[182] 


SECOND   PART 

CHAPTER  ONE 
1794 

ARRIVAL  IN  AMERICA 

Adieux  to  the  "  Diane." —  Joy  of  Being  in  a  Friendly  Country. — 
Temporary  Residence  at  Boston. —  Mr.  Geyer. —  General 
Schuyler. —  Sale  of  Superfluous  Articles. —  Departure  for 
Albany. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Learns  of  the  Death 
of  Her  Father. —  The  Inn  at  Lebanon. —  Arrival  at  Albany. 
—  Friendly  Reception  by  General  Schuyler  and  the  Van 
Rensselaer  Family. —  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer. —  Talleyrand 
in  America. 

IT  is  probably  very  presumptuous  on  my  part  to 
continue  to  write  these  memoirs  at  the  age  of 
nearly  seventy-three  years.  But  having  to-day 
finished  the  task  of  copying  the  part  which  I  had 
already  written  upon  loose  sheets,  I  warn  you,  my 
dear  son,  Aymar,  that  you  shall  have  the  rest  if  God 
permits,  as  long  as  I  retain  a  little  strength  and 
reason  and  eyes  to  guide  my  hand.  An  enterprise  of 
this  kind  demands,  above  all  things,  memory,  and 
it  seems  to  me  that  I  have  not  entirely  lost  mine. 

But  abandoning  preambles,  let  us  return  to  our 
entrance  into  the  port  of  Boston.  Our  ecstacy,  I 
admit  with  shame,  was  entirely  concentrated  upon 
an  enormous  fresh  fish  which  the  pilot  had  just 
caught  and  which,  with  a  pitcher  of  milk,  fresh 
butter  and  white  bread,  composed  what  the  captain 

[183] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

called  "a  welcome  breakfast."  While  we  were  eating 
with  voracious  appetites,  we  were  advancing,  towed 
by  our  boat,  up  this  magnificent  bay.  At  two  cables' 
length  from  the  land,  our  captain  dropped  the 
anchor  and  then  left  us  with  the  promise  to  return 
in  the  evening  after  having  found  us  a  lodging. 

We  did  not  have  a  single  letter  of  introduction, 
and  we  awaited  his  return  with  patience.  Fresh 
provisions  arrived  from  all  sides.  Several  Frenchmen 
also  came,  who  were  impatient  to  have  news.  They 
assailed  us  with  questions  to  which  we  could  reply 
only  very  imperfectly.  One  wished  to  know  what  was 
going  on  at  Lille,  another  at  Grenoble,  a  third  at 
Metz,  and  all  were  surprised  and  almost  angry  to 
obtain  replies  only  regarding  Paris  or  France  in 
general.  Most  of  them  were  very  common  people: 
ruined  merchants,  or  workmen  who  were  looking  for 
positions.  They  left  us  in  very  bad  humor,  and  we 
were  not  troubled  by  them  during  the  rest  of  the 
time  that  we  were  at  Boston. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  passed  in  putting 
our  things  in  order.  The  captain  returned  in  the 
evening.  He  had  found  a  little  lodging  upon  the 
Market  Place,  and  his  ship-owner  had  charged  him 
to  offer  us  his  services.  My  husband  resolved  to  go 
to  see  him  the  following  day  on  landing.  The  captain 
told  us  that  he  was  a  rich  man  and  highly  considered, 
and  that  we  were  fortunate  to  be  under  his  protection. 

You  may  well  believe  that  daybreak  the  following 
morning  found  me  already  awake.  I  made  my  adieux 
to  all  the  members  of  the  crew  individually  by 
"shaking  hands"  with  them.  These  worthy  fellows 

C  184  ] 


ARRIVAL   IN  AMERICA 

had  been  full  of  attention  for  us.  The  cabin-boy  shed 
tears  on  separating  from  my  son.  Everyone  expressed 
his  regret  at  parting,  and  I  for  my  part  was  very 
sorry  not  to  be  able  to  take  the  dog  "Black"  who 
was  much  attached  to  me.  I  had  consulted  my  friend 
Boyd  to  learn  whether  the  captain  would  willingly 
let  me  have  her.  Boyd  assured  me  that  the  request 
would  be  refused,  and  I  therefore  did  not  dare  to 
make  it. 

Our  good  captain  conducted  us  first  to  one  of  the 
best  inns,  where  he  had  ordered  prepared  an  excellent 
luncheon,  and  we  found  everything  of  which  we  had 
been  deprived  for  so  long  a  time.  After  this,  we  went 
to  the  little  lodging  house  chosen  by  the  captain, 
where  my  husband  left  me  to  go  and  see  the  owner 
of  our  ship. 

Mr.  Geyer  was  one  of  the  richest  proprietors  of 
the  city  of  Boston.  Although  he  had  returned  after 
the  peace  to  enjoy  his  fortune  in  his  native  land, 
he  had  been  counted  among  the  partisans  of  England, 
and  had  taken  no  part  in  the  Revolution  against  the 
Mother  Country.  Following  the  example  of  many 
other  Boston  merchants,  he  had  even  taken  his 
family  with  him  to  England  during  the  war.  My 
husband  was  received  by  Mr.  Geyer  with  a  charming 
cordiality. 

I  omitted  to  say  that  at  Pauillac  we  were  moored 
alongside  a  vessel  which  was  waiting  for  a  favorable 
wind,  like  ourselves,  and  which  was  bound  for  Eng- 
land. I  had  written  a  few  words  in  haste  to  Mme. 
d'Henin,  then  living  at  London,  to  beg  her  to  write 

C185] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

us  at  Boston,  in  care  of  Mr.  Geyer  whose  address 
had  been  given  me  by  the  captain.  The  length  of 
our  voyage  had  permitted  my  aunt  to  reply,  and  we 
found,  on  landing,  letters  which  settled  the  place  In 
the  United  States  which  we  were  to  inhabit.  I  will 
return  to  this  later. 

The  house,  in  which  were  located  the  rooms  found 
for  us  by  the  captain,  was  inhabited  by  three  genera- 
tions of  ladies:  Mrs.  Pierce,  her  mother  and  her 
daughter.  The  house  was  situated  upon  the  Market 
Place,  the  locality  the  most  frequented  and  most 
animated  in  the  city.  Our  lodging  comprised,  on  one 
side,  a  little  sitting-room  lighted  by  two  windows 
looking  out  on  the  Market  Place;  on  the  other  side, 
at  the  top  of  a  little  stairway,  a  comfortable  bed- 
chamber allotted  to  my  husband,  my  children  and 
myself.  This  room  had  a  view  over  an  isolated  dock- 
yard where  ship  carpenters  were  working.  Beyond 
that  extended  the  neighboring  country.  You  will 
see  later  why  I  enter  into  these  details. 

We  arranged  for  board  with  some  excellent  people, 
who  nourished  us  well  in  the  English  fashion.  The 
evening  of  the  first  day  found  us  settled  as  If  no 
grief  or  inquietude  had  ever  troubled  our  life. 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  night  I  was  awakened 
by  the  barking  of  a  dog  and  by  a  scratching  at  the 
door  of  the  kitchen  which  opened  out  on  the  dock- 
yard. This  bark  was  not  unknown  to  me.  I  got  up 
and  opened  the  window.  By  the  moonlight  I  could 
recognize  the  dog  "Black."  I  at  once  descended  and 
opened  the  door  for  her.  As  soon  as  she  had  entered 
my  room,  I  saw  that  the  poor  beast  was  so  wet 

[186] 


I 


ARRIVAL   IN   AMERICA 

that  she  certainly  must  have  remained  a  long  time 
in  tlic  water.  The  following  morning,  I  found  that 
she  had  been  kept  chained  on  board  during  the  day, 
hut  that  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  sailor 
thinking  that  it  would  be  all  right  to  release  her, 
iiad  done  so,  and  she  had  immediately  jumped  into 
the  sea.  As  the  ** Diane"  was  at  anchor  about  a  mile 
from  the  quay,  it  is  certain  that  the  good  beast  must 
have  swum  this  entire  distance  and  then  have 
searched  through  the  city  until  she  discovered  exactly 
the  door  of  the  house  which  was  nearest  to  the  room 
where  we  were  sleeping.  The  captain  felt  a  sort  of 
superstition  that  he  must  not  oppose  an  attachment 
so  clearly  shown.  "Black"  never  left  us  again  and 
returned  with  us  to  Europe. 

The  morning  of  the  day  after  our  arrival,  Mr. 
Geyer  came  to  see  me  with  his  wife  and  daughter. 
He  spoke  French  quite  well,  but  the  ladies  did  not 
know  a  single  word.  They  were  delighted  to  find  that 
their  language  was  as  familiar  to  me  as  it  was  to 
themselves. 

Mr.  Geyer  ofifered  to  put  at  our  disposal  a  farm 
which  he  owned  about  eighteen  miles  from  Boston. 
Perhaps  we  should  have  done  well  to  accept  his 
proposition,  but  my  husband  wished  to  be  as  near 
as  possible  to  Canada,  where  he  would  have  liked 
to  settle.  He  spoke  English  with  difficulty,  although 
he  understood  it  perfectly,  and  the  thought  that 
French  was,  as  it  still  is,  the  language  which  is 
usually  spoken  at  Montreal,  gave  him  the  desire  to 
live  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city. 

In  the  letters  which  we  had  received  from  Eng- 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

land,  Mme.  d'Henin,  while  regretting  that  we  had 
not  been  able  to  rejoin  her  in  England,  sent  us  letters 
from  an  American  who  was  one  of  her  friends.  This 
lady,  Mrs.  Church,  recommended  us  to  a  family- 
residing  at  Albany.  She  was  a  daughter  of  General 
Schuyler  who  had  gained  a  great  reputation  during 
the  War  of  Independence.  Until  a  short  time  before 
the  surrender  of  General  Burgoyne,  at  Saratoga  in 
October,  1777,  he  had  commanded  the  American 
army  which  opposed  the  forces  led  from  Canada  by 
General  Burgoyne  to  reenforce  the  English  army 
which  was  in  possession  of  New  York.  Since  the 
peace.  General  Schuyler,  a  Hollander  by  origin, 
lived  upon  his  estate  with  all  his  family.  His  eldest 
daughter  had  married  the  head  of  the  Van  Rensselaer 
family  which  was  settled  at  Albany  and  possessed  a 
large  fortune  in  the  county. 

Mrs.  Church,  seeing  the  great  maternal  Interest 
and  tender  friendship  which  animated  our  aunt, 
wrote  to  her  relatives,  and  we  received  on  our  arrival 
in  Boston  very  pressing  letters  from  General  Schuyler 
in  which  he  urged  us  to  come  without  delay  to  Al- 
bany, where  he  assured  us  we  would  easily  be  able 
to  establish  ourselves.  To  this  end  he  offered  us  all 
of  his  support.  We  therefore  made  up  our  minds  to 
accept  his  proposition.  Having  sent  all  of  our  baggage 
by  sea  to  New  York,  whence  it  would  be  forwarded 
to  Albany  by  the  Hudson  River,  we  waited  at  Boston 
for  the  news  of  its  arrival  at  destination  before  set- 
ting out  by  land.  We  preferred  to  make  in  this  way 
the  trip  of  two  hundred  miles,  as  it  would  permit  us 
to  see  the  country  and  would  not  be  more  expensive. 

C188] 


ARRIVAL   IN   AMERICA 

Before  despatching  our  baggage,  we  were  obliged 
to  unpack  and  repack  all  the  boxes,  as  they  contained 
a  lot  of  articles  which  would  be  useless  to  people, 
who,  like  ourselves,  were  going  to  live  in  the  country 
under  conditions  similar  to  those  of  peasants  in 
Europe.  There  was  no  indication  that  the  Revolution 
would  i)ermit  us  to  return  to  Europe  for  a  long  time, 
and  I  was  happy,  I  admit,  that  my  husband  had 
been  received  in  the  United  States  in  a  manner 
which  turned  him  from  the  idea  of  going  back  to 
England,  where  I  had  a  kind  of  presentiment  that 
we  would  not  be  well  received  by  my  family. 

At  Boston  I  sold  everything  among  the  effects 
which  we  had  brought  with  us  which  could  bring 
us  in  a  little  money.  As  the  ''Diane"  had  made  the 
voyage  without  cargo,  our  baggage,  which  had  cost 
us  nothing  to  transport,  was  very  considerable.  We 
disposed  of  more  than  half  of  it;  clothing,  cloth,  laces, 
a  piano,  music,  porcelains  —  everything  which  would 
be  superfluous  in  our  little  household  was  converted 
into  money  and  then  into  drafts  upon  persons  of 
responsibility  at  Albany. 

After  remaining  a  month  at  Boston  we  set  out 
with  our  two  children,  Humbert  and  Seraphine,  the 
first  of  June,  and  fifteen  days  later  we  arrived  at 
Albany.  We  traversed  the  whole  state  of  Massa- 
chusetts, of  which  we  admired  the  fertility  and  the 
air  of  prosperity.  But  a  sad  piece  of  news  had  made 
me  so  melancholy  that  I  did  not  enjoy  anything. 
Before  leaving  Boston  my  husband  had  heard  of  the 
death  of  my  father  who  perished  on  the  scaffold  the 

C189] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

thirteenth  of  April.  He  awaited  the  time  of  our 
journey  to  tell  me,  in  the  hope  that  the  necessary 
distraction  of  travelling  would  be  a  kind  of  relief  for 
me.  It  was  at  Northampton,  where  we  passed  the 
night,  that  he  resolved  to  tell  me,  fearing  lest  I  should 
read  of  the  sad  event  in  some  paper.  All  the  news  of 
France  was  reproduced  in  the  American  papers  as 
soon  as  it  was  received  in  every  port  of  the  Union. 

The  death  of  my  father  strongly  affected  me,  al- 
though I  had  expected  it  for  some  time.  Though  I 
had  seen  very  little  of  him  for  years,  I  nevertheless 
had  for  him  the  most  tender  affection.  I  wrote  my 
step-mother,  who  was  living  at  Martinique  with  my 
sister  Fanny,  who  was  then  twelve  years  of  age.  A 
long  time  afterwards  I  received  a  reply  from  Mme. 
Dillon,  in  which  she  announced  her  departure  for 
England  with  Fanny  and  Mile,  de  La  Touche,  a 
daughter  by  her  first  marriage.  The  letter  was  very 
cold,  and  my  step-mother  did  not  trouble  herself  at 
all  over  the  conditions  of  my  existence  in  America. 

In  spite  of  everything,  as  generally  happens  when 
you  see  new  objects,  I  was  diverted  from  my  grief 
by  the  beauty  of  the  woods  which  we  had  to  traverse 
to  arrive  at  Lebanon,  the  last  stop  where  we  passed 
the  night  before  arriving  at  Albany.  A  forest,  fifty 
miles  wide,  then  separated  the  state  of  Massachusetts 
from  that  of  New  York.  These  woods,  which  probably 
are  no  longer  in  existence,  afforded  a  spectacle  new  to 
me,  with  all  the  degrees  of  vegetation,  from  the  tree 
commencing  to  spring  from  the  earth,  to  that  which 
had  fallen  from  age.  The  route  laid  out  through  these 
splendid  woods  was  no  wider  than  the  wagon  track. 

C  190] 


ARRIVAL   IN   AMERICA 

It  was  a  simple  opening  through  the  trees  which  had 
been  cut  off  at  the  foot  and  thrown  to  the  right  and 
left  to  leave  a  free  passageway. 

About  midway,  we  stopped  for  luncheon  at  an  inn 
recently  erected,  in  the  middle  of  these  inim.ense 
woods.  In  America,  as  soon  as  a  rustic  house  is  built 
in  the  forest,  if  it  is  near  a  road,  even  if  only  one 
person  passes  during  the  course  of  the  year,  the  first 
expenditure  of  the  owner  is  the  purchase  of  a  sign, 
and  the  first  task  is  the  erection  of  a  post  to  attach 
it.  Then  he  nails  to  the  post  below  the  sign  a  letter- 
box, and  this  locality,  where  the  road  is  hardly  laid 
out,  is  at  once  designated  upon  the  map  of  the  country 
as  a  city. 

The  wooden  house  where  we  stopped  had  reached 
the  second  degree  of  civilization,  as  it  was  a  frame 
house,  that  is  to  say,  a  house  provided  with  sashes 
and  panes  of  glass. 

At  the  end  of  the  dinner  which  we  took  together, 
the  master  of  the  house  rose,  removed  his  cap,  and, 
with  a  respectful  air,  pronounced  these  words:  "We 
will  drink  the  health  of  our  beloved  President."  You 
would  not  then  have  found  a  cabin,  no  matter  how 
buried  it  was  in  the  depths  of  the  woods,  where  this 
act  of  love  for  the  great  Washington  did  not  terminate 
every  meal.  Sometimes  there  was  also  added  a  toast 
to  the  "Marquis,"  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette,  who  had 
left  a  well-loved  name  in  the  United  States. 

At  Lebanon  there  was  an  establishment  of  sulphu- 
reous baths  which  was  already  quite  important.  The 
inn  was  very  good,  and  above  all  was  perfectly  neat. 
But  the  luxury  of  white  bed-linen  was  then  unknown 

C191] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION" 

in  this  part  of  the  United  States.  A  request  for  it 
would  only  have  appeared  fantastic  and  would  not 
have  been  understood. 

The  city  of  Albany,  the  capital  of  the  state,  had 
been  almost  entirely  burned  two  years  before  by  an 
insurrection  of  negroes.  Slavery  was  not  yet  entirely 
abolished  in  the  state  of  New  York,  except  for 
children  to  be  born  during  the  year  of  1794,  and  only 
when  these  had  reached  their  twentieth  year.  This 
very  wise  measure,  which  obliged  the  owners  of  the 
slaves  to  raise  them,  gave,  on  the  other  hand,  to  the 
slave  the  time  to  make  good  to  his  master,  by  his 
work,  the  cost  of  his  education.  One  of  these  "blacks," 
a  very  worthless  character,  who  had  hoped  that  the 
act  of  the  legislature  would  give  him  his  liberty  with- 
out conditions,  resolved  to  be  revenged.  He  enrolled 
several  miserable  fellows  like  himself,  and  on  a  fixed 
day  arranged  to  set  fire  to  the  city,  which  at  this 
time  was  constructed  mainly  of  wood.  This  atrocious 
plan  succeeded  beyond  their  expectations.  Fires  were 
started  in  twenty  places  at  once,  and  houses  and  stores, 
with  their  contents,  were  destroyed,  notwithstanding 
the  efi"orts  of  the  inhabitants,  at  the  head  of  whom 
labored  the  old  General  Schuyler,  and  all  his  family. 
A  little  negress,  twelve  years  old,  was  arrested  at  the 
moment  she  was  setting  fire  to  a  store  with  straw 
from  the  stable  of  her  master.  She  revealed  the  names 
of  her  accomplices.  The  next  day  a  court  assembled 
upon  the  still  smoking  ruins,  and  condemned  the 
black  chief  and  six  of  his  accomplices  to  be  hung, 
which  sentence  was  executed  at  once. 

C  192] 


ARRIVAL   IN  AMERICA 

The  Van  Rensselaer  and  Schuyler  families  set  the 
example  of  great  activity  in  repairing  the  disaster. 
Cargoes  of  merchandise,  of  brick,  and  of  furniture 
were  brought  up  from  New  \'ork,  and  a  charming 
new  city  sprang  from  the  ashes  of  the  old.  Houses 
of  stone  and  especially  of  brick  were  erected,  which 
were  covered  with  plates  of  zinc  and  tin,  and  when 
we  arrived  at  Albany  there  was  no  longer  any  trace 
of  the  fire. 

The  house  of  General  Schuyler  and  that  of  his 
son-in-law,  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer,  each  being  isolated 
in  the  midst  of  a  garden,  had  been  spared.  It  was 
there  that  we  received  a  welcome  which  was  as 
flattering  as  it  was  hospitable.  General  Schuyler,  in 
seeing  me,  said:  "Now  I  shall  have  a  sixth  daugh- 
ter!" He  entered  into  all  of  our  plans,  our  desires 
and  our  interests.  He,  as  well  as  all  his  family,  spoke 
French   perfectly. 

When  we  arrived  in  America  the  head  of  the  Van 
Rensselaer  family,  which  was  divided  into  a  large 
number  of  branches,  all  of  which  were  rich,  was 
married  to  the  eldest  daughter  of  General  Schuyler. 
By  the  people  he  was  called  the  "patroon,"  a  Holland 
word  which  means  seig^ieur.  The  very  day  of  our 
arrival  at  Albany,  towards  evening,  we  took  a  walk 
in  a  long  and  very  fine  street,  at  the  extremity  of 
which  we  discovered  a  tract  of  ground  enclosed  by  a 
simple  palisade,  painted  white.  This  was  a  very  well- 
kept  park,  planted  with  fine  trees  and  flowers,  and 
surrounding  a  handsome  mansion  of  very  simple 
architecture  with  no  pretentions  to  art  or  exterior 
beauty.  Behind,  were  to  be  seen  a  number  of  out- 

[  193  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

buildings  which  gave  to  the  whole  establishment  the 
air  of  a  very  fine  and  well-kept  farm.  I  asked  of  a 
young  boy,  who  opened  the  gate  to  permit  us  to 
descend  to  the  edge  of  the  river,  who  was  the  proprie- 
tor of  this  large  mansion.  He  replied  with  an  air  of 
surprise  that  it  was  the  house  of  the  ''patroon."  On 
my  saying  that  I  did  not  know  what  he  meant  by  the 
word  "patroon,"  he  was  filled  with  astonishment. 

Two  days  later  we  v/ere  received  in  this  house  with 
a  kind  attention  and  friendship  which  in  the  future 
never  failed  us.  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer  was  a  woman  of 
thirty  years  who  spoke  French  very  well.  She  had 
learned  the  language  while  accompanying  her  father 
to  the  general  headquarters  of  the  American  and 
French  armies.   She  was  endowed  with  a  superior 
mind  and  with  an  extraordinary  clearness  of  judg- 
ment regarding  men  and  things.  For  years  she  had 
not  gone  out  of  the  house,  where  she  was  confined 
to  her  chair  by  the  state  of  her  health  for  months 
at  a  time,  the  beginning  of  a  malady  which  led  her 
to  the  tomb  a  few  years  later.  By  reading  the  papers 
she  had  kept  informed  as  to  the  state  of  parties  in 
France,   the   mistakes  which   had   brought   on   the 
Revolution,  the  vices  of  the  higher  class  of  society, 
and  the  folly  of  the  medium  classes.  With  an  ex- 
traordinary perspicuity  she  had  penetrated  the  causes 
and  the  effects  of  the  troubles  of  our  country  better 
than  we  ourselves.  She  was  very  impatient  to  make 
the  acquaintance  of  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  who 
had  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  having  been  dismissed 
from  England  on  very  short  notice.  With  his  usual 
quickness   of   apprehension,    he    had    made    up  his 

C  194] 


ARRIVAL   IN  AMERICA 

mind  that  France  had  not  yet  finished  the  different 
phases  of  the  Revolution.  He  brought  for  us  im- 
portant letters  from  Holland  which  Mme.  d'Henin 
had  confided  to  him.  She  wrote  me,  among  other 
things,  that  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  come  to 
pass,  in  a  country  of  real  liberty,  the  period  of  cruel 
folly  from  which  France  was  suffering.  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand  asked  where  he  could  find  me  at  the  end 
of  a  trip  to  the  interior  of  the  country  which  he  was 
thinking  of  making  in  company  with  Monsieur  de 
Beaumetz,  his  friend,  and  a  millionaire  Englishman 
who  had  just  arrived  from  India. 


[195] 


CHAPTER  TWO 

1794 

THE  FARM  NEAR  ALBANY 

En  Pension  with  the  Van  Burens. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin's 
Father-in-Law. —  Apprenticeship  as  Farmer. —  Purchase  of 
a  Farm. —  Temporary  Residence  at  Troy. —  A  Log  House. 
—  Unexpected  Visit  of  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand. —  News 
of  the  9  Thermidor. —  An  Appreciation  of  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand. —  Mr.  Law. —  Alexander  Hamilton. —  Begin- 
ning of  Winter. —  First  Encounter  with  the  Indians. — 
Purchase  of  the  First  Negro,  Minck. —  Repairs  of  the 
Farmhouse. —  Activity  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. 

AS  we  did  not  wish  to  remain  at  Albany, 
General  Schuyler  took  charge  of  finding  us 
a  farm  which  we  could  buy  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  advised  us  in  the  meantime  to  arrange  for 
three  months  to  hve  with  a  family  of  his  acquaintance 
which  was  located  not  far  from  the  farm  which  his 
brother,  Colonel  Schuyler,  occupied  with  his  twelve 
children.  Our  sojourn  at  Albany,  therefore,  was  not 
prolonged  beyond  several  days.  After  this,  we  went 
to  live  with  Mr.  Van  Buren  to  learn  American 
manners,  as  we  had  made  it  a  condition  of  living 
with  this  family  that  they  were  not  to  change  in 
any  way  the  customs  of  the  house.  It  was  also  ar- 
ranged that  Mrs.  Van  Buren  should  employ  me  in 
the  housework  the  same  as  if  I  were  one  of  her 
daughters.  Monsieur  de  Chambeau  at  the  same  time 

[196] 


THE   FARM   NEAR   ALBANY 

began  an  apprenticeship  w  ith  a  carpenter  of  the  httle 
growing  city  of  Troy  situated  at  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  Van  Buren  farm.  He  set  out  Monday  morn- 
ing and  returned  Saturday  night  only  to  pass  Sunday 
with  us.  We  had  just  received  news  of  the  tragic  end 
of  my  father-in-law  who  perished  upon  the  scaffold 
the  twenty-eighth  of  April,  1794.  Monsieur  de  Cham- 
beau  had  received  at  the  same  time  news  of  the  death 
of  his  own  father.  As  I  was  a  very  good  seamstress, 
I  fashioned  for  myself  my  mourning  costume,  and 
my  good  hostess,  having  thus  learned  to  appreciate 
the  skill  of  my  needle,  found  it  very  pleasant  to  have 
a  seamstress  at  her  command  without  cost,  when  she 
would  have  been  obliged  to  pay  a  dollar  a  day  and 
board  if  she  had  hired  one  from  Albany. 

My  husband  visited  several  farms.  We  were  await- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  funds  which  had  been  sent  us 
from  Holland  before  purchasing  the  farm  which  we 
expected  to  acquire.  General  Schuyler  and  Mr.  Van 
Rensselaer  advised  my  husband  to  divide  his  funds 
into  three  equal  parts:  A  third  for  the  purchase; 
a  third  for  the  management,  the  purchase  of  negroes, 
horses,  cows,  agricultural  implements  and  household 
furniture;  and  a  third  part,  added  to  what  remained 
of  the  12,000  francs  brought  by  us  from  Bordeaux, 
for  a  reserve  fund  to  meet  unexpected  circumstances, 
such  as  the  loss  of  negroes  or  cattle  and  also  for  living 
expenses  the  first  year.  This  arrangement  became 
our  rule  of  conduct. 

Personally,  I  resolved  to  be  in  a  position  to  fulfill 
my  duties  as  manager  of  the  farm.  I  began  by  ac- 
customing myself  never  to  remain  in  bed  after  sun- 

[  197] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

rise.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  during  the 
summer,  I  was  up  and  dressed.  My  room  opened 
upon  a  Httle  lawn  stretching  down  to  the  river.  When 
I  say  *' opened,"  I  am  not  speaking  of  the  window, 
but  of  the  door  which  was  on  a  level  with  the  turf. 
Therefore,  without  moving  from  my  bed,  I  could  see 
the  vessels  passing. 

The  Van  Buren  farm,  an  old  mansion  built  in  the 
style  of  Holland,  occupied  a  delightful  situation  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river.  Entirely  isolated  on  the  land 
side,  it  had  easy  facilities  of  communication  with 
the  other  side  of  the  river.  Opposite,  on  the  highway 
to  Canada,  was  situated  a  large  inn  where  could  be 
found  all  the  notices,  the  papers,  and  the  posters  re- 
garding sales.  Two  or  three  stage  coaches  passed 
there  every  day.  Van  Buren  owned  two  canoes,  and 
the  river  was  always  so  calm  that  it  was  possible  to 
cross  it  at  any  moment.  No  road  crossed  this  prop- 
erty. It  was  bounded  at  a  distance  of  several  hundred 
yards  by  a  mountain  covered  with  fine  trees  belong- 
ing to  the  Van  Burens.  We  often  said  that  this  farm 
was  just  what  we  wanted,  but  the  value  was  far  be- 
yond what  we  were  able  to  pay.  This  was  the  only 
thing  which  prevented  us  from  acquiring  it,  for  the 
general  rule  In  America  at  this  time  was  that  no 
matter  how  attached  a  man  might  be  to  his  house, 
his  farm,  his  horse  or  his  negro,  if  you  offered  him  a 
third  more  than  the  value,  you  were  assured  of 
becoming  the  owner. 

During  the  month  of  September  my  husband  en- 
tered into  negotiations  with  a  farmer  whose  land  was 

[198] 


THE   FARM  NEAR  ALBANY 

situated  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  upon  the  road 
from  Troy  to  Schenectady,  a  distance  of  two  miles 
in  the  interior.  The  situation  of  this  farm  upon  a 
hill  overlooking  a  large  expanse  of  country  appeared 
to  us  agreeable.  The  house  was  new,  pretty  and  in 
very  good  condition.  The  land  was  only  partially 
under  cultivation.  There  were  one  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  sown  down,  as  many  in  woods  and  pasturage, 
a  small  kitchen  garden  of  a  quarter  of  an  acre  full  of 
vegetables,  and  finally  a  handsome  orchard  sown 
with  red  clover  and  planted  with  cider  apples.  These 
trees  were  ten  years  old  and  in  full  bearing.  They 
asked  us  12,000  francs.  General  Schuyler  did  not 
think  the  price  exorbitant.  The  property  was  situated 
at  four  miles  from  Albany,  upon  a  route  which  they 
were  going  to  open  up  to  communicate  with  the  city 
of  Schenectady,  which  was  in  a  thriving  situation. 

The  proprietor  did  not  wish  to  move  until  after 
the  snow  was  well  packed.  As  we  had  arranged  with 
the  Van  Burens,  who  evidently  had  had  enough  of 
us,  for  two  months  only,  it  was  necessary,  therefore, 
to  look  for  another  home  from  the  first  of  September 
to  the  first  of  November.  At  Troy,  we  found  for  a 
moderate  sum,  a  little  wooden  house  in  the  midst 
of  a  large  yard,  enclosed  by  a  board  fence.  Here  we 
established  ourselves,  and,  as  it  would  be  necessary 
for  us  to  purchase  some  furniture  for  the  farm,  we 
immediately  acquired  what  we  wanted.  These  pieces 
of  furniture,  added  to  those  which  we  had  brought 
from  Europe,  permitted  us  to  be  well  settled  at  once. 
I  had  engaged  a  white  girl,  who  was  quite  satisfactory. 
She  was  to  be  married  in  two  months  and  consented 

[  199] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

to  enter  my  service  while  awaiting  the  erection  of  the 
log  house  which  her  future  husband  was  building, 
where  they  expected  to  live  after  their  marriage. 

Here  is  what  is  meant  by  a  log  house.  A  plan  better 
than  a  description  would  give  an  exact  idea.  A  piece 
of  land  fourteen  or  fifteen  feet  square  was  levelled 
and  the  construction  was  begun  by  building  a  brick 
chimney,  which  was  the  first  comfort  of  the  house; 
then  the  walls  were  erected.  These  were  composed  of 
large  pieces  of  wood,  covered  with  bark,  which  were 
hewn  in  such  a  manner  as  to  join  exactly  to  each 
other.  Above  the  walls  was  constructed  the  roof, 
with  an  opening  for  the  chimney.  In  the  middle  a 
door  was  installed.  You  see  many  of  these  houses  in 
Switzerland  where  they  serve  exclusively  for  the  use 
of  the  cattle  and  the  men  who  guard  them.  In  America 
these  houses  represent  the  first  degree  of  shelter  and 
often  the  last,  for  there  are  always  unfortunate  per- 
sons, and  these  log  houses  in  a  prosperous  city  become 
the  refuge  of  the  poor. 

One  day  at  the  end  of  September,  I  was  in  the 
yard  with  a  hatchet  in  my  hand,  occupied  with 
cutting  the  bone  of  a  leg  of  mutton  which  I  was  pre- 
paring to  put  on  the  spit  for  our  dinner.  All  of  a 
sudden,  I  heard  behind  me  a  loud  voice  which  said 
in  French:  *'0n  ne  peut  embrocher  un  gigot  avec 
plus  de  majeste."  Turning  quickly,  I  saw  Monsieur 
de  Talleyrand  and  Monsieur  de  Beaumetz.  Having 
arrived  the  evening  before  at  Albany,  they  had 
learned  from  General  Schuyler  where  we  were.  They 
came  on  his  part  to  invite  us  to  dinner  and  to  pass 
the  following  day  with  them  at  his  house.  These 

[  200  ] 


THE   FARM   NEAR   ALBANY 

gentlemen  were  to  remain  in  the  city  only  two  days. 
An  Englishman  who  was  one  of  their  friends  was  ac- 
companying them  and  was  very  impatient  to  return 
to  New  York.  However,  as  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand 
was  very  much  amused  at  the  sight  of  my  leg  of 
mutton,  I  insisted  that  he  should  return  the  follow- 
ing day  to  eat  it  with  us.  He  consented.  Leaving  the 
children  in  the  care  of  Monsieur  de  Chambeau  and 
Betsey,  we  set  out  for  Albany. 

En  route  we  talked  a  great  deal  upon  all  kinds  of 
subjects,  as  people  do  when  they  meet  after  a  long 
time.  The  latest  news  from  Europe,  of  which  they 
were  ignorant,  owing  to  their  visit  to  Niagara,  from 
which  they  had  only  just  returned,  was  more  terrible 
than  ever.  Blood  flowed  in  floods  at  Paris.  Mme. 
Elisabeth,  the  sister  of  the  King,  had  perished;  our 
relatives,  and  our  friends  were  counted  among  the 
victims  of  the  Terror. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  house  of  the  good  General, 
he  was  on  the  stoop.  From  a  distance  he  made  signs 
to  us  and  cried:  "Come  quickly,  come  quickly! 
There  is  great  news  from  France!"  We  entered  the 
sitting-room  and  every  one  of  us  took  a  paper.  Here 
we  found  the  news  of  the  Revolution  of  the  9  Ther- 
midor;  the  death  of  Robespierre  and  his  followers,  the 
end  of  the  shedding  of  blood  and  the  just  punishment 
of  the  Revolutionary  Tribunal. 

Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  was  rejoicing  especially 
that  his  sister-in-law,  Mme.  Archambauld  de  Peri- 
gord,  had  escaped,  when,  later  in  the  evening,  having 
taken  up  from  the  table  a  paper  which  he  thought 
he  had  read,  he  found  her  name  among  the  terrible 

[201  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

list  of  victims  executed  the  9  Thermidor,  that  very 
morning,  during  the  session  in  which  Robespierre 
was  denounced.  The  news  of  her  death  painfully 
affected  him.  His  brother,  who  cared  little  for  his 
wife,  had  left  France  in  1790,  and  as  their  fortune 
belonged  to  his  wife,  he  had  found  it  more  convenient 
that  she  should  remain  in  order  to  avoid  confiscation. 
She  left  three  children,  a  daughter  who  was  later 
Duchesse  de  Poix,  and  two  sons :  Louis,  who  died  in 
the  army  under  Napoleon,  and  Edmond  who  married 
the  youngest  of  the  daughters  of  the  Duchesse  de 
Courlande.  Without  the  news  of  this  cruel  event, 
our  evening  with  General  Schuyler  would  have  been 
more  agreeable. 

Mr.  Law,  the  travelling  companion  of  Messieurs  de 
Talleyrand  and  de  Beaumetz,  could  have  passed  for 
the  most  original  of  Englishmen,  all  of  whom  are 
more  or  less  so.  He  was  a  tall  blond  man,  forty  or 
forty-five  years  of  age,  with  a  handsome  sad  face. 
That  evening  upon  returning  to  their  inn,  he  said 
suddenly  to  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand: 

Mon  cher,  nous  ne  partlrons  pas  apres-demain." 
Et  pourquol  ?  Vous  avez  retenu  votre  passage  sur 
le  sloop  qui  descend  a  New- York." 

"Oh!  cela  est  egal.  Je  ne  veux  pas  partir.  Ces  gens 
de  Troy  que  vous  avez  ete  chercher  ..." 

"Ehlblen?" 

"Je  veux  les  revoir  encore  plusieurs  fois.  Demain, 
vous  irez  chez  eux?" 

"Oui." 

"J'irai  vous  y  prendre  le  solr.  Je  veux  voir  cette 
femme-la  chez  elle." 

r  -<^2  ] 


(I 


TIIK    FARM   NEAR   ALBANY 

Then  he  became  silent  and  they  could  not  get 
another  word  out  of  him. 

The  following  morning,  after  having  dined  with  our 
paternal  General,  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  and  my 
husband  returned  to  Troy.  I  had  preceded  them  dur- 
ing the  morning,  for  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  prepare 
the  dinner  for  my  guests.  A  little  negro  drove  the 
"carry-all"  which  could  be  easily  procured  at  Albany 
for  a  dollar. 

Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  was  amiable  as  he  has 
always  been  for  me,  without  any  variation,  w  ith  that 
charm  of  conversation  which  no  one  has  ever  pos- 
sessed to  a  greater  degree  than  himself.  He  had 
known  me  since  my  childhood,  and  therefore  assumed 
a  sort  of  paternal  and  gracious  tone  which  was  very 
charming.  I  regretted  sincerely  to  find  so  many 
reasons  for  not  holding  him  in  esteem,  but  I  could 
not  avoid  forgetting  my  disagreeable  recollections 
when  I  had  passed  an  hour  in  listening  to  him.  As 
he  had  no  moral  value  himself,  by  singular  contrast, 
he  had  a  horror  of  that  which  was  evil  in  others.  To 
listen  to  him  without  knowing  him,  you  would  have 
believed  that  he  was  a  worthy  man. 

That  evening  Mr.  Law,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Beau- 
metz,  came  to  take  tea.  I  already  had  a  cow  and  gave 
them  some  excellent  cream.  We  went  for  a  walk,  and 
Mr.  Law  offered  me  his  arm  and  a  long  conversation 
followed  between  us.  Brother  of  Lord  Landaff,  he 
had  left  while  still  very  young  for  India,  where,  for 
a  period  of  fourteen  years,  he  had  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Government  of  Patna,  or  some  similar 
post.  There  he  had  married  a  rich  Indian  widow  by 

[203  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

whom  he  had  two  sons  who  were  still  children.  His 
wife  had  died,  leaving  him  a  considerable  fortune. 
Upon  his  return  to  England  he  had  not  been  happy 
and  had  formed  the  resolution  of  coming  to  America 
to  invest  in  that  country  in  the  purchase  of  land  a 
part  of  the  capital  which  he  had  brought  back  from 
India. 

Two  days  later  we  were  to  pass  the  day  at  Mrs. 
Van  Rensselaer's,  with  all  the  Schuylers.  Monsieur 
de  Talleyrand  had  been  extremely  Impressed  by  the 
remarkable  culture  of  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer,  and 
could  not  believe  that  she  had  not  passed  years  in 
Europe.  She  had  a  very  clear  understanding  of 
American  affairs  and  the  Revolution,  of  which 
she  had  gained  a  profound  and  extended  knowledge 
through  her  brother-in-law.  Colonel  Hamilton,  who 
was  the  friend  and  also  the  most  intimate  confidant  of 
Washington.  Colonel  Hamilton  was  expected  at  Al- 
bany where  he  Intended  to  pass  some  time  with  his 
father-in-law.  General  Schuyler.  He  had  just  resigned 
the  position  of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  which  he 
had  held  since  the  peace.  It  was  to  him  that  the 
country  owed  the  good  order  which  had  been  es- 
tablished In  this  branch  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  knew  him 
and  had  the  very  highest  opinion  of  him.  But  he 
found  It  very  remarkable  that  a  man  of  his  value, 
and  endowed  with  talents  so  superior,  should  leave 
the  Ministry  to  resume  the  profession  of  lawyer,  giv- 
ing as  his  reason  for  this  decision  that  the  position 
of  Minister  did  not  give  him  the  means  of  bringing  up 
his  family  of  eight  children.  Such  a  pretext  seemed  to 

[204] 


THE   FARM   NEAR   ALBANY 

Talleyrand  very  singular  and,  so  to  speak,  even  a 
little  naif. 

At  the  end  of  the  dinner,  Mr.  Law  took  Talleyrand 
by  the  arm  and  led  him  into  the  garden  where  they 
passed  some  time.  The  dei)arture  of  these  gentlemen 
was  fixed  for  the  following  day,  and  they  had  formed 
the  plan  of  coming  to  Troy  in  the  morning  to  say 
adieu  to  us.  After  his  conversation  with  Talleyrand, 
Mr.  Law  stated  that  he  had  letters  to  write  and  re- 
turned to  his  inn.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  then  led 
my  husband  and  myself  to  a  corner  of  the  salon  where 
he  related  what  Monsieur  Law  had  said,  in  these 
terms:  "My  good  friend,  I  am  very  fond  of  these 
people,  and  my  intention  is  to  lend  them  a  thousand 
louis.  They  have  just  purchased  a  farm.  It  will  be 
necessary  for  them  to  have  cattle,  horses,  negroes 
and  so  on.  As  long  as  they  inhabit  the  country  they 
will  not  repay  my  loan.  Besides,  I  would  not  accept 
it.  It  is  necessary  for  me  to  help  them  in  order  to  be 
happy.  If  they  refuse,  I  shall  fall  ill.  They  will  render 
me  a  real  service  in  accepting  my  offer." 

Then  he  added:  "Cette  femme,  si  bien  elevee!  qui 
fait  la  cuisine  .  .  .  qui  trait  sa  vache  .  .  .  qui  lave  son 
linge  .  .  .  Cette  idee  m'est  insupportable  .  .  .  elle  me 
tue  .  .  .  Voila  deux  nuits  que  je  n'en  ai  pas  dormi." 

Talleyrand  was  a  man  of  too  good  taste  to  turn  to 
ridicule  such  a  feeling.  He  asked  us  very  seriously 
what  reply  he  should  make.  To  tell  the  truth  we 
were  very  profoundly  touched  by  this  proposition, 
notwithstanding  the  originality  with  which  it  was 
made.  We  requested  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  to  ex- 
press to  his  friend  our  very  sincere  thanks  and  to 

[205  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

assure  him  that  for  the  moment  we  were  able  to  take 
care  of  all  the  demands  of  our  establishment,  but  that 
later  on,  if,  owing  to  some  unexpected  circumstance 
we  found  ourselves  in  need,  we  would  promise  to  let 
him  know.  This  promise  which  he  received  that  even- 
ing quieted  him  a  little.  The  following  morning  he 
came  to  say  adieu.  The  poor  man  was  as  embarrassed 
as  if  he  had  done  something  wrong. 

We  were  awaiting  with  impatience  the  first  snow- 
fall and  the  moment  when  the  river  would  be  frozen 
for  three  or  four  months.  In  order  to  have  the  ice 
solid,  it  is  necessary  that  the  freezing  should  take 
place  during  the  twenty-four  hours,  and  that  the  ice 
should  be  two  or  three  feet  thick.  This  peculiarity  is 
due  entirely  to  the  locality  and  the  immense  forests 
which  cover  the  large  continent  to  the  west  and  north 
of  the  settlements  of  the  United  States,  but  is  not 
due  to  the  latitude.  It  is  probable  that  at  the  present 
writing  the  Great  Lakes  are  now  almost  entirely 
surrounded  by  settlements,  and  that  the  climate  of 
the  region  in  which  we  lived  has  notably  changed. 

From  the  twenty-fifth  of  October  until  the  first  of 
November  the  sky  was  covered  with  a  mass  of  clouds 
so  thick  that  the  day  was  obscured.  A  northwest 
wind,  bitterly  cold,  blew  with  great  violence  and 
every  one  made  preparations  to  put  aside  whatever 
could  be  covered  up  by  the  snow.  We  took  out  of  the 
river  the  boats,  the  canoes  and  the  barks,  turning 
upside  down  those  which  had  no  decks.  Everybody 
at  this  time  displayed  the  greatest  activity.  Then  the 
snow  commenced  to  fall  with  such  abundance  that 

[206] 


THE   FARM   NEAR   ALBANY 

you  could  not  see  a  man  at  ten  paces.  Ordinarily  the 
ice  formed  two  or  three  days  before.  The  first  care 
was  to  trace  with  j)ine  branches  a  wide  route  along 
one  of  the  banks.  In  the  same  way  were  marked  the 
places  where  the  border  was  not  steep  and  where  one 
could  pass  upon  the  ice.  It  would  have  been  dangerous 
to  pass  elsewhere,  for  in  many  places  the  ice  lacked 
solidity  upon  the  edges. 

We  had  acquired  moccasins,  a  kind  of  foot-covering 
of  buffalo-skin,  made  and  sold  by  the  Indians.  The 
price  of  these  articles  was  sometimes  quite  high  when 
they  were  embroidered  with  dyed  bark  or  with 
porcupine  quills. 

It  was  in  purchasing  these  moccasins  that  I  saw 
the  Indians  for  the  first  time.  They  were  the  last 
survivors  of  the  Mohawk  tribe  whose  territory  had 
been  purchased  or  taken  by  the  Americans  since  the 
peace.  The  Onondagas,  established  near  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  also  were  selling  their  forests  and  disappearing 
at  this  epoch.  From  time  to  time  some  of  them  came 
to  us.  I  was  a  little  surprised  when  I  met  for  the  first 
time  a  man  and  woman  practically  nude  promenading 
tranquilly  upon  the  highway,  without  any  one  seem- 
ing to  find  this  remarkable.  But  I  soon  became  ac- 
customed to  this,  and,  when  I  was  settled  on  the  farm, 
I  saw  them  almost  every  day  during  the  summer. 

We  took  advantage  of  the  first  moment  that  the 
route  was  traced  and  trodden  down  to  commence 
our  moving.  The  funds  which  we  awaited  from  Hol- 
land had  arrived  and  my  grandmother.  Lady  Dillon, 
who  had  died  the  nineteenth  of  June,  had  left  me  a 
legacy  of  300  guineas,  although  she  had  never  seen 

[207] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

me.  With  this  money  we  bought  our  farm  utensils. 
We  already  possessed  four  good  horses  and  two  work- 
sleds.  A  third  served  for  our  personal  use  and  was 
called  the  pleasure  sleigh.  It  could  hold  six  persons. 
It  was  constructed  in  the  form  of  a  very  low  box. 
At  the  back  was  a  seat,  a  little  wider  than  the  body  of 
the  sleigh,  which  was  placed  upon  a  box  in  which  we 
could  put  small  packages,  and  it  had  a  back  higher 
than  your  head,  which  broke  the  force  of  the  wind. 
The  other  seats  —  two  in  number  —  were  composed 
of  simple  planks.  Buffalo-robes  and  sheepskins  cov- 
ered the  feet.  Two  horses  were  attached  and  we  were 
carried  very  swiftly. 

We  accordingly  set  out  to  establish  ourselves  on 
our  farm,  although  the  sellers  were  still  occupying  it. 
They  were  in  no  hurry  to  move  out,  and  we  were 
literally  obliged  to  put  them  out  of  the  door. 

At  this  time  we  bought  a  negro,  and  this  purchase, 
which  seemed  to  be  the  most  simple  thing  in  the 
world,  produced  in  my  case  a  feeling  so  new  that  I 
shall  remember  it  all  my  life. 

A  few  days  after  our  arrival,  the  people  from  whom 
we  had  purchased  the  farm  finally  went  away,  leav- 
ing us  the  house,  which  was  dirty  and  badly  kept. 
They  had  abandoned  the  property  after  having  occu- 
pied it  for  several  years,  because  it  had  become  too 
small  for  them  and  they  were  going  to  take  possession 
of  another  place  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

As  soon  as  we  were  alone  in  the  house,  we  spent  a 
little  money  in  arranging  it.  The  house  comprised 
only  the  rooms  on  the  ground  floor  and  was  raised 

C  208  ] 


(DQM 


/  9  4 


THE   FARM  NEAR  ALBANY 

five  feet  above  the  earth.  At  the  time  it  was  built 
they  had  commenced  by  constructing  a  wall,  buried 
six  feet  in  the  ground  and  rising  two  feet  above  the 
surface.  This  part  formed  the  cellar  and  the  milk- 
room.  Above,  the  rest  of  the  house  was  of  wood,  as 
you  will  still  see  frequently  in  Switzerland.  The 
vacant  spaces  in  the  carpentry  work  were  filled  with 
sun-dried  bricks  which  formed  a  wall  very  compact 
and  very  warm. 

Monsieur  de  Chambeau  had  well  profited  by  his 
four  months  of  apprenticeship  with  the  master- 
carpenter  and  had  really  become  a  very  good  work- 
man. Besides,  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  him 
to  think  of  idleness,  for  my  activity  admitted  of  no 
excuse.  My  husband  and  he  could  have  applied  to 
me  those  words  of  Talleyrand  on  Napoleon:  "Celui 
qui  donnerait  un  peu  de  paresse  a  cet  homme,  serait 
le  bienfaiteur  de  I'univers."  In  short,  during  all  the 
time  that  I  lived  at  the  farm,  well  or  ill,  the  sun 
never  found  me  in  my  bed. 


[209] 


CHAPTER  THREE 

1795 

COUNTRY  LIFE 

Family  Life  at  the  Farm. —  The  Arrival  of  Spring. —  The 
Indians. —  Their  Passion  for  Rum. —  The  Shakers. —  A 
Visit  to  Their  Establishment. —  A  Visit  from  Messieurs  de 
Liancourt  and  Dupetit-Thouars. —  Talleyrand  and  the 
Banker  Morris. —  Plans  for  a  Trip  to  Philadelphia  and 
New  York. 

MY  butter  had  become  very  popular.  I  ar- 
ranged It  carefully  In  little  rolls  formed  In 
in  a  mould  marked  with  our  cipher,  and 
placed  It  attractively  In  a  very  neat  basket  upon  a 
fine  serviette.  It  was  for  general  sale.  We  had  eight 
cows  which  were  well  fed,  and  our  butter  did  not  feel 
the  effects  of  the  winter.  My  cream  was  always 
fresh.  This  brought  me  In  every  day  quite  a  little 
money,  and  the  sledge-load  of  wood  also  sold  for  at 
least  two  dollars. 

Our  slave,  Prime,  although  he  did  not  know  how 
to  read  or  write,  nevertheless  kept  his  accounts  with 
such  exactitude  that  there  was  never  the  slightest 
error.  He  often  brought  back  some  fresh  meat  which 
he  had  bought  at  Albany,  and,  upon  his  return,  my 
husband,  from  his  report,  wrote  out  the  sum  of  the 
receipts  and  expenditures. 

Property  like  ours  was  generally  burdened  with  a 
small  rent  which  was  paid  either  In  grain  or  In  money. 

[210] 


COUNTRY   LIFE 

Our  farm  paid  to  the  patroon,  Van  Rensselaer, 
twenty-two  pecks  of  corn,  either  in  kind  or  in  money. 
All  of  the  farms  in  his  immense  estate,  which  was 
eighteen  miles  wide  by  forty-two  miles  long,  were 
held  under  the  same  conditions. 

One  of  our  neighbors  at  Albany,  Monsieur  De- 
jardin,  had  brought  from  Europe  a  complete  suite  of 
furniture,  and,  among  other  things,  a  fine  library  of 
a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred  books.  He  loaned  these 
books  to  us,  and  my  husband  or  Monsieur  de  Cham- 
beau  read  to  me  during  the  evening,  while  I  worked. 

We  took  our  dejeuner  at  eight  o'clock,  and  our 
dinner  at  one  o'clock.  In  the  evening  at  nine  o'clock 
we  had  tea,  with  slices  of  bread,  our  excellent  butter 
and  some  fine  Stilton  cheese  which  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand  sent  us.  With  this  consignment,  he  had 
sent,  for  me  personally,  a  present  which  gave  me 
the  greatest  pleasure.  This  was  a  very  fine  woman's 
saddle,  with  a  bridle  and  other  accessories  complete. 
No  gift  had  ever  come  in  more  a  propos.  We  had 
indeed  bought  with  the  farm,  and  "to  boot,"  two 
handsome  mares,  exactly  similar  in  coat  and  form, 
but  very  dissimilar  in  character.  One  had  the  tempera- 
ment of  a  lamb,  and,  although  she  had  never  had  a 
bit  in  her  mouth,  I  mounted  her  the  very  day  that 
she  was  saddled  for  the  first  time.  In  a  few  days  I 
could  harness  her  as  well  as  though  she  had  been  a 
work-horse.  Her  manners  were  very  agreeable,  and 
when  you  wished,  she  would  follow  you  like  a  dog. 
The  other  was  a  regular  devil,  whom  all  the  skill  of 
Monsieur  de  Chambeau,  an  old  Cavalry  officer, 
could  not  succeed   in  subduing.   We  were  able  to 

[211] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

master  her  only  in  the  spring,  when  we  made  her 
work  between  two  strong  horses.  The  first  time  she 
was  hitched  up  in  this  way,  she  was  so  furious  that 
at  the  end  of  ten  minutes  she  was  wet  with  sweat. 
In  time,  however,  she  calmed  down  and  made  an 
excellent  mare.  She  was  worth  at  least  twenty  or 
thirty  louis. 

A  propos  of  the  springtime.  It  Is  Interesting  to 
recount  with  what  promptitude  it  arrived  in  these 
parts.  The  latitude  of  forty-three  degrees  then  made 
itself  felt  and  resumed  all  its  empire.  The  northwest 
wind,  after  having  prevailed  throughout  the  winter, 
ceased  suddenly  during  the  first  days  of  March.  The 
southerly  breezes  commenced  to  blow,  and  the  snow 
melted  with  such  speed  that  the  roads  were  trans- 
formed into  torrents  during  two  days.  As  our  dwell- 
ing occupied  the  slope  of  a  hill,  we  were  soon  free 
from  our  white  mantle.  During  the  winter,  the  snow, 
three  or  four  feet  deep,  had  protected  the  grass  and 
the  plants  from  the  ice.  Therefore,  in  less  than  a 
week,  the  fields  were  green  and  were  covered  with 
flowers,  and  an  innumerable  variety  of  plants  of 
every  kind,  unknown  in  Europe,  filled  the  woods. 

The  Indians,  who  had  not  appeared  during  the 
entire  winter,  began  to  visit  the  farms.  One  of  them, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  cold  weather,  had  asked  my 
permission  to  cut  some  branches  of  a  kind  of  willow 
tree  which  had  shoots,  large  as  my  thumb  and  five 
or  six  feet  long.  He  promised  me  to  weave  some 
baskets  during  the  winter  season.  I  counted  little 
upon  this  promise,  as  I  did  not  believe  that  Indians 

[212] 


COUNTRY  LIFE 

would  keep  their  word  to  this  degree,  although  I 
had  been  so  informed.  1  was  mistaken.  Within  a 
week  after  the  snow  had  melted,  my  Indian  came 
back  with  a  load  of  baskets,  lie  gave  me  six  of  them 
which  were  nested  in  one  another.  The  first,  which 
was  round  and  very  large,  was  so  well  made  that, 
when  filled  with  water,  it  retained  it  like  an  earthen 
vessel.  I  wished  to  pay  him  for  the  baskets,  but  he 
absolutely  refused  and  would  accept  only  a  bowl  of 
buttermilk  of  which  the  Indians  are  very  fond.  I 
was  very  careful  not  to  give  my  visitors  any  rum, 
for  which  they  have  a  great  liking.  But  I  had  in  an 
old  paste-board  box  some  remnants  (artificial  flowers, 
feathers,  pieces  of  ribbons  of  all  colors  and  glass 
beads,  which  were  formerly  much  in  vogue)  and  I 
distributed  these  among  the  squaws,  who  were 
delighted  with  them. 

I  had  been  suffering  for  a  period  of  two  months 
with  a  double  intermittent  fever.  This  attack  which 
lasted  from  five  to  six  hours  interfered  very  much 
with  my  daily  work.  It  enfeebled  me  and  took  away 
my  appetite,  and,  although  I  never  lay  down,  it 
caused  me  to  shiver  even  in  a  temperature  of  eighty- 
five  degrees,  and  made  me  incapable  of  any  work. 
Under  these  circumstances,  a  young  girl,  my  neighbor, 
who  lived  not  far  from  us  in  the  woods  with  her 
parents,  came  to  my  aid.  She  was  a  seamstress  by 
trade  and  worked  perfectly.  She  arrived  at  the  farm 
in  the  morning  and  remained  all  day  long,  and  asked 
no  wages  except  her  meals. 

My  son,  Humbert,  was  then  over  five  years  of  age, 

[^13  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

although  to  judge  by  his  size,  any  one  would  have 
thought  he  was  at  least  seven.  He  spoke  English 
perfectly  —  much  better  even  than  he  did  French. 
A  lady  of  Albany,  a  friend  of  the  Van  Rensselaers 
and  wife  of  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  England,  had 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  him.  Several  times  already 
he  had  been  to  pass  the  afternoon  with  her.  One  day 
she  proposed  to  me  to  take  charge  of  the  boy  during 
the  summer,  promising  me  to  teach  him  to  read  and 
write.  She  said  that  in  the  country  I  had  not  the 
time  to  look  after  him,  that  he  would  take  my  fever, 
and  added  several  other  reasons  to  persuade  me  to 
yield  to  her  wish. 

This  lady,  whose  name  was  Mrs.  Ellison,  was  about 
forty  years  of  age  and  had  never  had  any  children, 
which  had  been  a  great  grief  to  her.  I  ended  by  con- 
senting to  let  her  have  Humbert,  and  he  was  very 
happy  and  very  well  cared  for  with  her.  This  ar- 
rangement relieved  me  of  a  great  deal  of  care.  On 
the  farm  I  was  always  afraid  that  he  would  have 
some  accident  with  the  horses  of  which  he  was  very 
fond.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  prevent  him  from 
accompanying  the  negroes  to  the  fields,  and  above 
all  from  mingling  with  the  Indians,  with  whom  he 
always  wished  to  go  away.  I  had  been  told  that  the 
Indians  sometimes  kidnapped  children.  Therefore, 
when  I  saw  them  hanging  for  hours  around  my  door 
I  imagined  they  were  awaiting  a  favorable  moment 
to  take  my  son. 

A  nice  wagon,  loaded  with  fine  vegetables,  often 
passed  before  our  door.  It  belonged  to  the  Shakers, 

[214] 


COUNTRY   LIFE 

who  were  located  at  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  miles. 
The  driver  of  the  wagon  always  stopped  at  our  house, 
and  1  never  failed  to  talk  with  him  about  their 
manner  of  life,  their  customs,  and  their  belief.  He 
urged  us  to  visit  their  establishment,  and  we  decided 
to  go  there  some  day.  It  is  known  that  this  sect  of 
Quakers  belonged  to  the  reformed  school  of  the  orig- 
inal Quakers  who  took  refuge  in  America  with  Penn. 

After  the  war  of  1763,  an  English  woman  set  her- 
self up  for  a  reformer  apostle.  She  made  many 
proselytes  in  the  states  of  Vermont  and  Massa- 
chusetts. Several  families  put  their  property  in 
common  and  bought  land  in  the  then  uninhabited 
parts  of  the  country,  but,  as  the  clearings  approached 
and  reached  them,  they  sold  their  establishment  in 
order  to  retire  further  into  the  wilderness. 

Those  of  whom  I  speak  were  then  protected  on  all 
sides  by  a  forest  several  miles  deep.  They  therefore 
had  no  reason  as  yet  to  fear  their  neighbors.  Their 
establishment  was  bounded  on  one  side  by  woods 
which  covered  20,000  acres,  belonging  to  the  city 
of  Albany,  and  on  the  other  by  the  river  Mohawk. 
Without  doubt,  at  the  present  writing,  they  no 
longer  live  in  this  locality  where  I  knew  them,  and 
have  retired  beyond  the  Great  Lakes.  This  establish- 
ment was  a  branch  of  their  headquarters  at  Lebanon, 
which  was  located  in  the  large  forest  through  which 
we  passed  in  going  from  Boston  to  Albany. 

Our  negro.  Prime,  who  knew  all  the  routes  in  our 
neighborhood,  conducted  us  to  their  place.  At  the 
start  we  were  at  least  three  hours  in  the  woods,  fol- 
lowing a  road  which  was  hardly  laid  out.  Then  after 

[215] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

having  passed  the  barriers  which  marked  the  Hmits 
of  the  Shaker  property,  the  road  became  more  distinct 
and  better  marked.  But  we  still  had  to  pass  through 
a  very  thick  forest,  broken  here  and  there  by  fields 
where  cows  and  horses  were  pastured  at  liberty. 
Finally,  we  came  out  in  a  vast  clearing  traversed  by 
a  pretty  stream  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  woods. 
In  the  midst  was  erected  the  establishment,  com- 
posed of  a  large  number  of  nice  wooden  houses,  a 
church,  schools,  and  a  community  house  of  brick. 

The  Shaker,  whose  acquaintance  we  had  made, 
greeted  us  with  kindness,  although  with  a  certain 
reserve.  They  showed  Prime  the  stable  in  which  he 
could  put  up  his  horses,  for  there  was  no  inn.  We 
had  been  advised  that  nobody  would  offer  us  any- 
thing, and  that  our  guide  would  be  the  only  one  to 
speak  to  us.  He  first  led  us  to  a  superb  kitchen-garden 
perfectly  cultivated.  Everything  was  in  a  state  of 
the  greatest  prosperity,  but  without  the  least  evi- 
dence of  elegance.  Many  men  and  women  were 
working  at  the  cultivation  or  the  weeding  of  the 
garden.  The  sale  of  vegetables  represented  the 
principal  source  of  revenue  to  the  community. 

We  visited  the  schools  for  the  boys  and  girls,  the 
immense  community  stables,  the  dairies,  and  the 
factories  In  which  they  produced  the  butter  and 
cheese.  Everywhere  we  remarked  upon  the  order 
and  the  absolute  silence.  The  children,  boys  and 
girls  alike,  were  clothed  in  a  costume  of  the  same 
form  and  the  same  color.  The  women  of  all  ages  wore 
the  same  kind  of  garments  of  gray  wool,  well  kept 
and  very  neat.  Through  the  windows  we  could  see 

C216] 


COUNTRY  LIFE 

the  looms  of  the  weavers,  and  the  pieces  of  cloth 
which  they  were  dyeing,  also  the  workshops  of  the 
tailors  and  dress-makers.  But  not  a  word  or  a  song 
was  to  be  heard  anywhere. 

Finally,  a  bell  rang.  Our  guide  told  us  that  this 
announced  the  hour  of  prayer  and  asked  if  we  would 
like  to  be  present.  We  consented  very  willingly,  and 
he  led  us  towards  the  largest  of  the  houses,  which  no 
exterior  sign  distinguished  from  the  others.  At  the 
door  I  was  separated  from  my  husband  and  Monsieur 
de  Chambeau,  and  we  were  placed  at  opposite 
extremities  of  the  immense  hall,  on  either  side  of  a 
chimney  in  which  was  burning  a  magnificent  fire.  It 
was  then  the  beginning  of  spring  and  the  cold  was 
still  felt  in  these  large  woods.  This  hall  was 
about  150  or  200  feet  long  by  50  feet  wide.  It  was 
entered  by  two  lateral  doors.  The  building  was  very 
light  and  the  walls,  without  being  ornamented  in  any 
way,  were  perfectly  smooth  and  painted  a  light  blue. 
At  each  end  of  the  hall  there  was  a  small  platform 
upon  which  was  placed  a  wooden  arm-chair. 

I  was  seated  at  the  corner  of  the  chimney,  and  my 
guide  had  enjoined  silence,  which  was  all  the  easier 
for  me  as  I  was  alone.  While  keeping  absolutely 
silent,  I  had  the  opportunity  to  admire  the  floor, 
which  was  constructed  of  pine  wood,  without  any 
knots,  and  of  a  rare  perfection  and  whiteness.  Upon 
this  fine  floor  were  drawn  in  different  directions 
lines  represented  by  copper  nails,  brilliantly  polished, 
the  heads  of  which  were  level  with  the  floor.  I  en- 
deavored to  divine  what  could  be  the  use  of  these 
lines,  which  did  not  seem  to  have  any  connection 

[217] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

with  each  other,  when  at  the  last  stroke  of  the  bell 
the  two  side  doors  opened,  and  I  saw  enter  on  my 
side  fifty  or  sixty  young  girls  or  women,  preceded 
by  one  who  was  older  who  seated  herself  upon  one 
of  the  arm-chairs.  No  child  accompanied  them. 

The  men  were  arranged  in  the  same  manner  at 
the  opposite  side,  where  were  my  husband  and  Mon- 
sieur de  Chambeau.  I  then  observed  that  the  women 
stood  upon  these  lines  of  nails,  taking  care  not  to 
cross  them  with  their  toes.  They  remained  immobile 
until  the  moment  when  the  woman  seated  in  the  arm- 
chair gave  a  sort  of  groan  or  cry  which  was  neither 
speech  nor  song.  All  then  changed  their  places,  and  I 
imagined  that  this  kind  of  stifled  cry  which  I  had 
heard  must  represent  some  command.  After  several 
evolutions,  they  stopped,  and  the  old  woman  mur- 
mured quite  a  long  string  of  words  in  a  language 
which  was  absolutely  unintelligible,  but  in  which 
were  mingled,  it  seemed  to  me,  some  English  words. 
After  this,  they  went  out  in  the  same  order  in  which 
they  had  entered.  Having  thus  visited  all  parts  of 
the  establishment,  we  took  leave  of  our  kind  guide 
and  entered  our  wagon  to  return  home,  very  little 
edified  regarding  the  hospitality  of  the  Shakers. 

When  the  Shaker  who  came  to  sell  vegetables  and 
fruit  passed  before  our  farm,  I  always  bought  some- 
thing. He  was  never  willing  to  take  money  from  my 
hand.  If  I  remarked  that  the  price  which  he  asked 
was  too  high,  he  replied:  "Just  as  you  please."  Then 
I  placed  upon  the  corner  of  the  table  the  sum  which 
I  thought  sufficient.  If  the  price  was  satisfactory,  he 
took  it;  if  not,  he  climbed  into  his  wagon,  without 

[218] 


COUNTRY  LIFE 

saying  a  word.  He  was  a  man  of  very  respectable 
appearance,  always  perfectly  dressed  in  a  coat,  vest 
and  trousers  of  gray  homespun  cloth  oi  their  own 
manufacture. 

One  thing  had  rendered  me  at  once  very  popular 
with  my  neighbors.  The  day  that  we  took  possession 
of  our  farm,  1  adopted  the  costume  worn  by  the 
women  on  the  neighboring  places,  that  is  to  say,  a 
skirt  of  blue  and  black  striped  wool,  a  little  camisole 
of  light  brown  cotton  cloth,  a  handkerchief  of  the 
same  color,  with  my  hair  parted  as  it  is  worn  now, 
and  caught  up  with  a  comb.  In  winter,  I  wore  gray 
or  blue  woolen  stockings,  with  moccasins  or  slippers 
of  buffalo  skin;  in  summer,  cotton  stockings,  and 
shoes.  I  never  put  on  a  dress  or  a  corset,  except  to  go 
into  the  city.  Among  the  effects  which  I  had  brought 
to  America  were  two  or  three  riding-costumes.  These 
I  used  to  transform  myself  into  a  dame  elegante,  when 
I  wished  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Schuylers  or  Van 
Rensselaers,  for  very  frequently  we  dined  and  after- 
wards passed  the  evening  with  them,  particularly 
when  it  was  moonlight,  and  above  all,  during  the 
period  of  snow. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  summer  of  1795,  we  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  the  Due  de  Liancourt.  He  has 
spoken  of  this  very  kindly  in  his  "Voyage  en  Ame- 
rique."  He  came  from  the  new  settlements  formed 
since  the  War  of  Independence  upon  the  banks  of 
the  Mohawk  and  on  the  territory  ceded  by  the 
Oneida  nation.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  given 
him  letters  of  introduction  to  the  Schuylers  and  Van 

[219] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Rensselaers.  After  a  sojourn  of  a  day  with  us,  I 
offered  to  take  him  to  Albany  to  present  him  to 
these  two  famiUes.  Had  he  taken  seriously  my  woolen 
skirt  and  my  cotton  camisole?  I  do  not  know,  but 
the  fact  is  that  he  seemed  to  begin  to  understand 
that  we  had  not  entirely  become  beggars,  when  he 
saw  me  appear  with  a  pretty  robe  and  a  very  well 
made  hat,  and  when  my  negro,  Minck,  brought  up  a 
fine  wagon  to  which  were  hitched  two  excellent 
horses  in  a  harness  which  shone  brilliantly.  This  was 
the  moment  for  me  to  exclaim  that  for  nothing  in 
the  world  would  I  take  him  to  see  Mrs.  Van  Rensse- 
laer or  Mrs.  Schuyler,  if  he  did  not  himself  make  a 
little  change  in  his  toilette.  With  his  garments  covered 
with  mud  and  dust,  torn  in  several  places,  he  had 
the  appearance  of  a  shipwrecked  sailor,  escaped  from 
the  pirates,  and  nobody  would  have  thought  that  in 
this  bizarre  get-up  was  concealed  a  first  gentleman 
of  the  Chamber.  We  arranged  our  conditions:  I 
agreed  to  take  him  to  see  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer  and 
Mrs.  Schuyler,  and  he  consented  to  open  his  trunk, 
which  he  had  left  at  the  inn  in  Albany,  in  order  to 
clothe  himself  in  a  more  conventional  manner.  Then 
I  went  to  pay  a  visit  in  the  city  while  waiting  for 
him  to  change  his  costume. 

After  we  had  made  our  calls,  he  promised  to  return 
the  next  day  to  the  farm,  and  I  left  Albany,  taking 
back  with  me  his  travelling  companion.  Monsieur 
Dupetit-Thouars.  As  for  Monsieur  de  Liancourt,  I 
did  not  see  him  again.  The  fever  with  which  I  was 
suffering  at  the  time  made  it  impossible  for  me  to  go 
out.  Besides,  this  philanthropic  grand  seig7ieur  had 

[  220  ] 


COUNTRY  LIFE 

extremely  displeased  me,  and  my  friends  did  not 
like  him  any  better.  The  spirituelle  Mrs.  Van  Rensse- 
laer had  sized  him  up  from  the  first  as  a  man  who 
was  very  ordinary.  Perhaps  I  shall  be  reproached 
with  ingratitude  for  treating  him  in  this  way,  for 
he  spoke  of  me  in  the  most  flattering  manner  in  his 
book. 

Several  days  after  the  visit  of  Monsieur  de  Lian- 
court,  about  the  month  of  June,  we  received  from 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  a  letter  in  which  he  in- 
formed us  of  a  fact  that  might  have  caused  us  the 
most  serious  consequences,  and  at  the  same  time 
spoke  of  the  important  service  which  he  had  rendered 
us  under  the  circumstances.  The  balance  of  the  funds 
which  we  had  received  from  Holland,  20,000  or  25,000 
francs,  had  been  deposited  with  the  Morris  Bank  at 
Philadelphia.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  offered  to 
withdraw  this  money  for  us,  and  was  only  awaiting 
the  formal  authorization  of  my  husband  to  do  so. 
By  a  chance  which  was  really  providential,  he  learned 
one  night  through  an  indiscretion  that  Mr.  Morris 
was  going  to  announce  his  failure  the  next  day. 
Without  losing  a  moment,  he  went  to  the  house  of 
the  banker,  forced  his  door,  the  entrance  of  which 
had  been  denied  him,  and  penetrated  his  cabinet. 
He  told  him  that  he  was  aware  of  his  situation  and 
forced  him  to  place  in  his  hands  the  Holland  drafts 
which  had  only  come  into  his  possession  as  a  de- 
positary. Mr.  Morris  was  constrained  by  fear  of  the 
dishonor  which  would  have  resulted  to  him  from 
an  abuse  of  confidence,  which  Monsieur  de  Talley- 

[221  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

rand  would  not  have  hesitated  to  proclaim.  The  only 
condition  he  made  was  that  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin  should  sign  an  acknowledgement  of  the  payment 
of  these  funds.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  therefore 
urged  my  husband  to  come  to  Philadelphia  to  arrange 
this  matter.  At  the  same  time,  he  advised  me  to 
accompany  my  husband,  for,  having  consulted  several 
physicians,  he  said,  regarding  the  persistency  of  my 
fever,  all  were  of  the  opinion  that  only  a  journey 
would  cure  me  of  it. 

Mr.  Law  possessed  a  charming  mansion  at  New 
York,  and  had  already  urged  us  several  times  to 
come  and  make  him  a  visit.  The  haying  would  not 
begin  before  another  month,  and  Monsieur  de  Cham- 
beau  was  familiar  with  all  the  details  of  the  farm 
work.  There  was  therefore  nothing  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  this  trip.  Our  neighbor,  Susy,  the  young  girl 
of  whom  1  have  already  spoken,  agreed  to  come  and 
take  my  place  to  look  after  my  little  girl.  As  for  my 
son,  Humbert,  who  was  still  with  Mrs.  Ellison  at 
Albany,  he  would  not  even  know  of  our  absence. 


r  222  ~\ 


CHAPTER  FOUR 

1795 

A  VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

Fulton's  Invention. —  The  Trip  to  New  York. —  The  Hudson 
River. —  West  Point. —  Sojourn  at  New  York. —  Alexander 
Hamilton. —  The  Yellow  Fever. —  Precipitate  Departure. — 
General  Gates. —  Return  to  the  Farm. —  Death  of  Sera- 
phine. —  Gathering  the  Apples  and  Making  Cider. —  The 
Crop  of  Corn. —  Ice  in  the  River. —  Recovery  of  a  Portrait 
of  the  Queen. 

STEAMBOATS  had  not  yet  been  Invented,  al- 
though this  kind  of  motor  power  was  already 
in  use  in  some  factories.  We  even  had,  our- 
selves, a  steam  turnspit  which  acted  perfectly,  and 
which  we  used  every  week,  in  cooking  either  the 
roast  beef  for  our  Sunday  dinner,  or  the  immense 
brown  and  white  turkeys,  which  are  of  a  species  very 
superior  to  that  found  in  Europe.  But  Fulton  had 
not  yet  applied  this  discovery  to  boats;  and,  since  I 
have  touched  on  this  subject,  I  will  relate  at  once 
how  the  thought  was  suggested  to  him. 

Between  Long  Island  and  New  York  there  is  an 
arm  of  the  sea  a  mile  or  more  wide,  which  small 
boats  can  cross  without  Interruption  whenever  the 
weather  permits.  Since  it  Is  not  a  river,  there  is  no 
current,  and  the  tide  Is  only  apparent  from  the 
elevation  of  the  water  and  does  not  Interfere  with 
navigation.  A  poor  sailor  had  lost  his  two  legs  In 

[223  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

battle.  Being  still  young  and  vigorous,  he  had  a  great 
deal  of  strength  In  his  arms.  The  idea  came  to  him  to 
place  athwart  his  bark  canoe  a  round  pole  with  wings 
at  the  two  extremities,  at  the  right  and  left  of  the 
boat,  which  he  was  able  to  turn  at  will  while  seated 
in  the  stern.  This  ingenious  system  was  observed  by 
Fulton  one  day  when  he  had  hired  the  boat  to  go  to 
Brooklyn  on  Long  Island,  and  this  gave  him  the 
first  idea  of  applying  steam  to  navigation. 

Trade  with  Albany,  which  was  very  considerable 
at  this  time,  was  carried  on  by  large  sloops  and  barks. 
Nearly  all  of  these  boats  had  good  rooms,  with  a 
fine  saloon  at  the  stern,  and  carried  passengers.  The 
descent  to  New  York  took  about  thirty-six  hours, 
as  it  was  necessary  to  remain  at  anchor  during  the 
period  of  the  rising  tides.  The  boats  always  en- 
deavored therefore  to  leave  Albany  at  daybreak. 
We  accordingly  went  on  board  one  of  these  barks  in 
the  evening,  and  before  sunrise  we  were  already  far 
from  the  point  of  our  departure. 

The  North  or  Hudson  River  Is  extremely  beautiful. 
The  banks,  covered  with  houses  or  pretty  little 
villages,  spread  out  on  either  side,  until  you  reach 
the  very  high  and  steep  chain  of  mountains  which 
runs  the  length  of  the  continent  of  North  America 
and  which  has  various  names  In  different  localities: 
Green  Mountains,  Appalachians,  or  Alleghanles.  The 
river,  before  entering  the  highlands,  forms  a  large 
basin  over  a  mile  wide,  similar  to  that  part  of  the 
Lake  of  Geneva  called  Le  Fond  du  Lac,  with  this 
difference  that  here  the  mountains  rise  from  the  edge 
of  the  water.  The  opening  through  which  the  river 

[224] 


A  VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

passes,  situated  between  two  steep  mountains,  can 
be  seen  only  when  you  are  very  close  to  it.  The  water 
is  so  deep  that  a  large  frigate  could  be  moored  to  the 
side  of  this  passage  without  danger  of  touching 
bottom.  The  whole  morning  of  the  day  after  our  em- 
barkment,  we  were  sailing  in  the  midst  of  these 
beautiful  mountains.  Then,  the  tide  having  left  us, 
we  went  ashore  to  visit  the  historical  place  of  West 
Point,  celebrated  for  the  treason  of  General  Arnold 
and  the  fate  of  Major  Andre. 

Although  I  have  visited  many  different  places,  and 
admired  not  a  few  great  effects  of  nature,  I  have 
never  seen  anything  comparable  with  the  pass  of 
West  Point.  Perhaps  it  has  now  lost  some  of  its 
beauty,  if  they  have  cut  down  the  fine  trees  which 
dipped  their  ancient  branches  in  the  waters  of  the 
river.  These  mountain-sides  were  useless  for  cultiva- 
tion. I  therefore  hope,  from  my  love  of  nature,  that 
the  desire  of  making  clearings  has  not  touched  them. 

We  arrived  at  New  York  on  the  morning  of  the 
third  day  and  here  we  found  Monsieur  de  Talley- 
rand with  Mr.  Law.  Their  reception  was  most  friendly. 
Both  were  alarmed  at  my  thinness  and  the  change 
In  my  appearance.  They  therefore  would  not  hear 
of  my  proposed  trip  to  Philadelphia,  which  it  was 
necessary  to  make  by  stage.  It  meant  that  I  would 
have  to  pass  two  nights  on  the  way.  My  husband 
undertook  the  journey  alone,  and  I  was  confided  to 
the  good  care  of  Mrs.  Foster,  the  housekeeper  of 
Mr.  Law.  This  good  woman  exhausted  for  my  benefit 
all  the  prescriptions  of  her  medical  repertoire.  Four 

[225] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

or  five  times  a  day  she  came  to  me  with  a  little  cup 
of  some  kind  of  bouillon  which  she  urged  me  to  take. 
I  submitted  willingly  to  this  regime  as  I  had  been 
much  disturbed  by  the  lamentations  of  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand  over  my  decline. 

The  three  weeks  which  we  passed  in  New  York 
have  remained  in  my  memory  as  a  most  agreeable 
period.  My  husband  returned  at  the  end  of  four  days. 
He  had  much  admired  the  fine  city  of  Philadelphia. 
But  what  I  envied  him  most  was  the  fact  that  he 
had  seen  the  great  Washington,  who  was  my  hero. 
Even  to-day  I  cannot  console  myself  at  having 
missed  seeing  this  great  man,  of  whom  his  friend, 
Mr.  Hamilton,  had  spoken  to  me  so  often.  I  found 
again  at  New  York  the  whole  Hamilton  family.  I 
had  been  present  at  the  time  of  their  arrival  at  Al- 
bany in  a  wagon  driven  by  Mr.  Hamilton  himself, 
when  he  came  to  resume  the  practice  of  his  profession 
as  a  lawyer,  after  having  resigned  the  position  of 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  As  I  have  already  stated, 
he  gave  up  this  position,  to  have  a  better  chance  of 
leaving  a  small  fortune  to  his  children.  Mr.  Hamilton 
at  that  time  was  about  thirty-eight  years  of  age.  Al- 
though he  had  never  been  in  Europe,  he  nevertheless 
spoke  our  language  like  a  Frenchman.  His  remarkable 
mind,  and  the  clearness  of  his  thoughts,  mingled  well 
with  the  originality  of  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  and 
the  vivacity  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin.  Every 
night  these  distinguished  men,  with  two  or  three 
others,  came  for  tea.  Seated  upon  the  terrace,  the 
conversation  which  was  started  between  them  lasted 
until  midnight  and  sometimes  later.  At  one  moment, 

[226] 


A  VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

Mr.  Hamilton  would  relate  the  story  of  the  beginnings 
of  the  War  of  Independence,  of  which  the  dull  memoirs 
of  that  imbecile,  Lafayette,  have  since  rendered  the 
details  so  insipid.  At  another,  Mr.  Law  would  speak 
of  his  sojourn  in  India,  of  his  administration  of 
Patna,  where  he  had  been  Governor,  of  the  elephants 
and  the  palanquins.  Between  them  all,  the  conversa- 
tion never  languished.  Mr.  Law  enjoyed  these  even- 
ings so  much  that  when  we  spoke  of  our  departure, 
he  became  very  sad  and  said  to  his  butler,  ''Foster, 
if  they  leave  me,  I  am  a  dead  man." 

Three  weeks  had  rolled  around  when  the  news 
became  current  one  evening  that  yellow  fever  had 
broken  out  in  a  street  very  near  to  Broadway,  where 
we  were  living.  That  very  night  my  husband  and  I 
were  very  ill;  I  think  from  having  eaten  too  many 
bananas  or  pineapples  or  other  fruits  brought  from 
the  Islands  by  the  same  boat  which  had  carried  the 
fever.  Fearing  to  be  shut  in  by  the  quarantine,  I 
resolved  to  leave  at  once,  and  at  daybreak  our  trunk 
was  packed  and  we  had  gone  to  reserve  our  places 
on  board  a  sloop  which  was  ready  to  set  sail.  We 
then  returned  to  see  Mr.  Law  and  make  our  adieux. 
He  decided  then  to  leave  also,  under  the  pretext  of 
going  to  visit  some  property  in  the  new  city  of 
Washington,  which  they  were  beginning  to  build.  In 
these  purchases  he  compromised  the  greater  part  of 
his  fortune.  Our  departure  was  so  precipitate  that 
I  did  not  even  see  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand.  He  was 
not  yet  up  when  we  were  already  far  from  New  York. 

On  our  return  we  saw  with  the  same  admiration 
the  fine  pass  at  West  Point,  and  this  time  we  made 

[227] 


1 

RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

a  long  promenade  on  land  during  the  six  hours  our 
boat  remained  at  anchor.  We  ascended  the  hill  upon 
which  was  situated  the  inn  which  was  the  place  of 
the  last  interview  between  Arnold  and  Andre.  At 
New  York  I  had  seen  the  aged  General  Gates  who 
had  known  all  the  French  officers  and  loved  to  talk 
of  them.  I  had  been  cautioned  not  to  speak  of  the 
incident  of  Major  Andre,  a  subject  of  conversation 
which  was  very  painful  to  him  —  not  because  he  re- 
proached himself  with  the  sentence,  which  was  pro- 
nounced in  conformity  with  rules  of  military  justice, 
but  because  it  recalled  to  him  the  terrible  reprisals 
made  by  the  English,  who  had  executed  a  number  of 
American  prisoners. 

I  found  my  house  in  the  best  of  order,  although 
Monsieur  de  Chambeau  did  not  expect  us.  My  little 
girl  was  also  in  very  good  health.  This  absence  of  a 
month  had  appeared  long  to  me,  in  spite  of  the  very 
agreeable  society  in  which  I  had  lived.  The  yellow 
fever  made  great  ravages  that  year  at  New  York,  and 
I  congratulated  myself  that  we  had  left  so  quickly. 

I  resumed  with  new  ardor  my  rural  occupations. 
My  fever  had  departed  with  the  change  of  air  and 
my  strength  had  returned.  The  work  of  the  dairy 
was  resumed,  and  the  pretty  designs  moulded  upon 
the  butter-balls  informed  my  customers  of  my  return. 
Our  orchard  promised  a  magnificent  harvest  of  apples, 
and  our  barn  contained  grain  for  the  whole  winter. 
Our  negroes,  stimulated  by  our  example,  worked 
with  good  spirit.  They  were  better  clothed  and  better 
nourished  than  those  of  our  neighbors. 

[228] 


A  VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

I  was  feeling  very  happy  under  these  circumstances 
when  God  struck  me  a  most  unexpected  blow,  and, 
as  I  then  imagined,  the  most  cruel  and  terrible  that 
one  could  endure.  Alas,  I  have  since  experienced 
others  which  have  surpassed  it  in  severity.  My  little 
Seraphine  was  taken  from  us  by  a  sudden  illness  very 
common  in  this  part  of  the  country  —  a  kind  of 
infant  paralysis.  She  died  in  a  few  hours  without 
losing  consciousness.  The  physician  from  Albany, 
whom  Monsieur  de  Chambeau  had  gone  to  bring, 
as  soon  as  she  began  to  suffer,  gave  us  no  hope  that 
she  would  live  and  declared  that  this  malady  wa's 
then  very  common  in  the  country  and  that  no  remedy 
was  known.  The  young  Schuyler  who  only  the  day 
before  had  been  playing  with  my  daughter  during 
the  afternoon  succumbed  to  the  same  trouble  a  few 
hours  later  and  rejoined  her  in  Heaven.  This  cruel 
event  threw  us  all  into  a  state  of  sadness  and  mortal 
discouragement.  We  brought  Humbert  home,  and  I 
endeavored  to  obtain  distraction  from  my  grief  in 
occupying  myself  with  his  education.  He  was  then 
five  and  a  half  years  old.  His  intelligence  was  very 
well  developed.  He  spoke  English  perfectly  and  read 
it  easily. 

There  was  no  Catholic  priest  either  in  Albany  or 
in  the  neighborhood.  My  husband,  who  did  not  wish 
to  have  a  Protestant  minister  called,  himself  per- 
formed the  last  rites  for  our  child,  and  placed  her  in 
a  little  enclosure  which  had  been  arranged  to  serve 
as  a  cemetery  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  farm.  It 
was  situated  in  the  middle  of  our  woods.  Almost  every 
day  I  went  to  kneel  upon  the  grave,  the  last  resting 

[229] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

place  of  the  child  whom  I  had  so  much  loved,  and 
it  was  there  that  God  gave  to  me  a  change  of  heart. 

Up  to  this  period  of  my  life,  although  I  was  far 
from  being  irreligious,  I  had  never  taken  much  inter- 
est in  religion.  During  the  course  of  my  education, 
no  one  had  ever  spoken  to  me  of  religion.  During  the 
first  years  of  my  childhood  I  had  had,  under  my  eyes, 
the  worst  possible  examples.  In  the  high  society  of 
Paris,  I  had  been  witness  of  scandals,  so  often  re- 
peated, that  they  had  become  familiar  to  me  to  the 
point  of  no  longer  moving  me.  In  this  way  every 
thought  of  morality  had  been  benumbed  in  my 
heart,  but  the  hour  had  come  when  I  had  to  recognize 
the  hand  which  had  smitten  me. 

I  do  not  know  exactly  how  to  describe  the  trans- 
formation which  came  over  me.  It  seemed  to  me  as 
if  a  voice  cried  out  to  me  that  I  must  change  my 
whole  being.  Kneeling  upon  the  grave  of  my  child, 
I  implored  her  to  obtain  from  God,  who  had  already 
recalled  her  to  Him,  my  pardon  and  a  little  relief 
from  my  distress.  My  prayer  was  heard.  God  ac- 
corded me  then  the  grace  to  know  and  serve  Him. 
He  gave  me  the  courage  to  bend  very  humbly  under 
the  stroke  which  had  smitten  me  and  to  prepare  my- 
self to  support  without  complaining  the  new  griefs, 
by  which  in  His  justice  He  deemed  it  proper  to  try 
me  in  the  future.  From  that  day  the  divine  will 
found  me  submissive  and  resigned. 

Although  all  joy  had  disappeared  from  our  house- 
hold, it  was  none  the  less  necessary  for  us  to  continue 
our  work,  and  we  encouraged  each  other,  my  husband 

[230] 


A   VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

and  1,  to  find  distraction  in  tlie  obligation  under 
whicli  we  were  not  to  remain  a  moment  idle.  The 
harvest  of  the  apples  approached.  It  promised  to  be 
very  abundant,  for  our  orchard  had  the  finest  ap- 
pearance. We  could  count  upon  the  trees  as  many 
apples  as  there  were  leaves.  The  autumn  before  we 
had  essayed  what  is  known  at  Bordeaux  as  une 
fa^on.  This  consists  in  turning  over  with  a  spade  a 
square  of  four  or  five  feet  around  each  tree,  some- 
thing which  had  never  been  done  there  before.  The 
Americans  indeed  have  no  idea  of  the  effect  which 
that  produces  upon  vegetation;  but  when,  in  the 
springtime,  they  saw  our  trees  covered  with  blossoms, 
they  looked  upon  us  as  sorcerers. 

Another  act  brought  us  great  reputation.  Instead 
of  buying  for  our  cider  new  barrels  made  of  very 
porous  wood,  we  succeeded  in  finding  at  Albany 
several  casks  which  had  contained  Bordeaux  and  also 
some  marked  cognac  which  were  well  known  to  us. 
Then  we  arranged  our  cellar  with  the  same  care  as 
if  it  were  to  contain  wine  of  the  Medoc.  We  borrowed 
a  cider  mill  to  crush  the  apples.  A  horse  twenty- 
three  years  old  which  General  Schuyler  had  given 
me  was  hitched  to  it.  Here  is  the  story  of  this  horse 
which  I  have  not  previously  recounted: 

The  horse  had  carried  him  through  the  war,  and 
the  General  wished  to  let  him  die  a  happy  death. 
It  seemed  as  though  he  had  almost  reached  the  end 
of  his  days,  when  our  negro,  Prime,  saw  him  in  the 
pasture  dragging  one  foot  after  the  other  and  reduced 
to  skin  and  bones.  Prime  requested  me  to  ask  the 
General  to  give  me  the  horse,  which  he  did  with 

[231  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS   OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

pleasure.  He  had  been  a  magnificent  pure-blooded 
animal,  but  he  no  longer  had  any  teeth.  Prime  had 
much  difficulty  in  leading  the  poor  beast  the  four 
miles  which  separated  the  pasture  from  our  stable. 
Every  day  he  gave  him  a  mixture  of  oats  and  boiled 
corn,  hay  finely  cut  up,  carrots  and  so  on.  This 
fodder  in  abundance  restored  to  the  fine  animal  the 
vigor  of  his.  youth.  At  the  end  of  the  month  I  could 
mount  him  every  day,  and  soon  at  a  little  gallop  he 
carried  me  even  to  Albany  without  making  a  false 
step.  They  refused  to  believe  that  he  was  the  same 
horse.  This  display  of  skill  greatly  increased  the 
reputation  of  Prime. 

But  to  return  to  our  apples.  The  cider  mill  was 
very  primitive.  It  consisted  of  two  pieces  of  channelled 
wood  which  fitted  into  each  other,  and  was  turned  by 
our  horse  attached  to  a  pole.  The  apples  were  fed 
into  a  hopper,  and  when  the  juice  had  filled  a  large 
tub,  it  was  taken  to  the  cellar  and  poured  into  the 
casks. 

The  whole  operation  was  very  simple  and,  as  we 
had  very  fine  weather,  this  harvest  was  a  charming 
recreation.  My  son  who  rode  the  horse  during  the 
day  was  convinced  that  without  him  nothing  could 
have  been  done. 

When  the  work  was  finished,  we  found  ourselves 
provided  with  eight  or  ten  barrels  to  sell,  in  addition 
to  what  we  had  reserved  for  ourselves.  Our  reputation 
for  honesty  was  so  great  that  people  had  confidence 
that  we  would  not  put  any  water  Into  our  cider. 
This  enabled  us  to  sell  It  at  double  the  ordinary 
price,  and  all  was  sold  at  once.  As  for  that  which  we 

[232] 


A   VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

had  reserved  for  ourselves,  we  treated  it  exactly 
as  we  would  have  done  with  our  white  wine  at 
Le  Bouilh. 

The  crop  of  corn  followed  that  of  the  apples.  This 
crop  was  very  abundant  as  it  is  the  one  which  succeeds 
best  in  the  United  States  where  it  is  indigenous.  As 
you  must  not  leave  the  ear  covered  with  the  husk 
more  than  two  days,  we  brought  together  all  of  our 
neighbors  to  finish  the  harvest  quickly  on  the  spot. 
This  is  what  is  called  a  "husking  bee."  We  began  by 
sweeping  the  floor  of  the  barn  with  as  much  care  as 
though  we  were  going  to  give  a  ball.  Then  when  night 
arrived,  we  lighted  several  candles  and  the  people 
assembled,  about  thirty  in  all,  black  and  white,  and 
set  themselves  to  work.  One  of  the  party  did  not 
cease  to  sing  or  to  tell  stories.  Towards  the  middle 
of  the  night  we  served  to  each  one  a  bowl  of  hot 
milk  which  we  had  previously  mixed  with  cider.  To 
this  mixture  you  add  five  or  six  pounds  of  brown 
sugar,  if  you  are  prodigal,  or  an  equal  amount  of 
molasses,  if  you  are  not,  then  spices,  such  as  cloves, 
cinnamon  and  nutmeg.  Our  workers  drank  to  our 
very  best  health  the  contents  of  an  immense  wash- 
boiler  filled  with  this  mixture,  with  which  they  ate 
toast.  At  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  the 
weather  was  already  quite  chilly,  they  left  us  in  good 
spirits.  Our  negroes  were  often  invited  to  these 
gatherings,  but  my  negress  never  went.  When  all  of 
our  crops  had  been  harvested  and  garnered,  we  com- 
menced to  work  our  land  and  to  undertake  the  labors 
which  precede  the  winter.  Under  a  shed  was  piled  up 
the  wood  which  was  to  be  sold.  The  sleds  were  re- 

[233  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

paired  and  repainted.  I  bought  a  large  piece  of  coarse 
blue  and  white  checked  flannel  to  make  two  shirts 
for  each  of  my  negroes.  A  tailor  was  employed  by 
the  day  at  the  farm  to  make  them  coats  and  well- 
lined  caps.  This  man  ate  with  us  because  he  was 
white.  He  would  certainly  have  refused  if  we  had 
asked  him  to  eat  with  the  slaves,  although  they  were 
incomparably  better  dressed  and  had  better  manners 
than  he.  But  I  was  very  careful  not  to  express  the 
least  remark  upon  this  custom.  My  neighbors  acted 
in  this  way,  and  I  followed  their  example  and  in  our 
reciprocal  relations  I  was  always  careful  not  to  make 
any  allusion  to  the  place  which  I  had  formerly  occu- 
pied on  the  social  ladder.  I  was  the  proprietor  of  a 
farm  of  250  acres.  I  lived  in  the  same  manner  as  my 
neighbors,  neither  better  nor  worse.  This  simplicity 
and  abnegation  gave  me  more  respect  and  considera- 
tion than  as  if  I  had  wished  to  play  the  lady. 

I  never  lost  a  moment.  Every  day,  winter  and 
summer  alike,  I  was  up  at  dawn  and  my  toilette  did 
not  take  long.  The  negroes  before  going  to  their  work 
assisted  the  negress  to  milk  the  cows,  of  which  we 
had  eight.  During  this  time,  I  was  busy  with  skim- 
ming the  milk  in  the  dairy.  The  days  we  made  butter, 
two  or  three  times  a  week,  Minck  remained  to  turn 
the  handle  of  the  churn,  a  task  which  was  too  difficult 
for  a  woman.  All  the  rest  of  the  making  of  the  butter 
which  was  quite  tiresome  was  my  task.  I  had  a  re- 
markable collection  of  bowls,  spoons,  wooden  spatu- 
las, which  were  the  work  of  my  good  friends  the 
Indians,  and  my  dairy  was  considered  the  cleanest 
and  also  the  most  elegant  in  the  country. 

[  234  ] 


A  VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK 

This  year  the  winter  came  very  early.  During  the 
first  days  of  November,  the  black  curtain  which  an- 
nounced the  snow  commenced  to  rise  in  the  west. 
As  we  would  have  wished,  there  followed  eight  days 
of  hitter  cold,  and  the  river  in  twenty-four  hours  was 
frozen  to  the  depth  of  three  feet  before  the  snow 
began  to  fall.  When  it  began  to  snow,  it  fell  with 
such  violence  that  you  could  not  see  a  man  at  the 
distance  of  ten  paces.  Prudent  people  took  care  not 
to  hitch  up  their  sleighs  to  mark  out  the  routes.  This 
work  was  left  to  those  who  were  more  in  haste,  or 
to  those  whose  business  compelled  them  to  go  to  the 
city  or  to  the  river.  Then  before  venturing  upon  the 
river,  we  waited  until  the  passageways  to  descend 
upon  the  ice  had  been  marked  by  pine  branches. 
Without  this  precaution,  it  would  have  been  very 
dangerous  to  venture  on  the  ice,  and  every  yeai 
there  were  accidents  caused  by  imprudence.  The  tide 
before  Albany  and  as  far  up  as  the  junction  of  the 
Mohawk  rises  several  feet  and  the  ice  often  does  not 
remain  upon  the  water. 

Our  winter  passed  like  the  preceding  one.  We  fre- 
quently went  to  dine  with  the  Schuylers  and  the 
Van  Rensselaers,  whose  friendship  never  changed. 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  who  was  again  living  at 
Philadelphia,  had  been  able  to  recover  in  a  very 
singular  manner  certain  articles  which  belonged  to 
me:  a  medallion  portrait  of  the  Queen,  a  casket  and 
a  watch  which  had  been  left  me  by  my  mother.  He 
knew  from  me  that  our  banker  at  The  Hague  had 
advised  me  that  he  had  placed  these  articles  in  the 
hands  of  a  young  American  diplomat  (I  have   for- 

[235] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

gotten  his  name,  fortunately  for  him)  with  the  request 
that  he  should  arrange  to  send  them  to  me.  But  al- 
though Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  done  his  best, 
he  had  never  been  able  to  put  his  hand  on  this  person. 
Finally  one  evening,  when  calling  upon  a  lady  of  his 
acquaintance  at  Philadelphia,  she  had  spoken  to  him 

of  a  portrait  of  the  Queen  which  Monsieur had 

procured  at  Paris  and  which  he  had  loaned  her  to 
show  to  some  of  hei  friends.  She  wished  to  know 
from  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  if  the  portrait  was 
good.  Hardly  had  he  looked  at  it  before  he  recognized 
that  it  belonged  to  me.  He  took  possession  of  the 
medallion  and  informed  the  lady  that  it  did  not 
belong  to  the  young  diplomat.  Then  he  went  at  once 
to  find  the  latter  and,  without  any  preamble,  de- 
manded from  him  the  casket  and  the  watch  which 
the  banker  at  The  Hague  had  confided  to  him  with 
the  portrait.  The  young  man  was  much  embarrassed 
and  ended  by  restoring  all  of  these  articles,  which 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  sent  to  us  at  the  farm. 


[  236  ] 


CHAPTER   FIVE 

1796 

DEPARTURE  FOR   EUROPE 

News  from  France. —  Return  Decided  Upon. —  Regrets  of  Mme. 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  The  Slaves  Receive  Their  Liberty. — 
Departure  for  Europe. —  The  Wait  at  New  "\'ork. —  Arrival 
at  Cadiz. —  The  Quarantine. —  Visit  of  the  Customs  Of- 
ficers.—  Mode  of  Travel  in  Spain  at  This  Epoch.—  A  Bull 
Fight. —  Departure  from  Cadiz. —  The  Inns. —  Cathedral 
of  Cordova. —  In  the  Sierra  Morena. —  At  Madrid. 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  the  winter  of  1795  and 
1796,  I  had  the  measles  and  was  quite  ill. 
We  were  afraid  that  Humbert  also  would 
take  them,  but  he  did  not,  although  he  slept  in  my 
room.  I  soon  found  myself  in  good  health,  and  it 
was  at  this  moment  that  we  received  letters  from 
Bonie  in  France  which  informed  us  that,  joining  his 
efforts  to  those  of  Monsieur  de  Brouquens,  he  had 
succeeded  in  having  the  sequestration  raised  at  Le 
Bouilh. 

The  property  of  the  persons  who  had  been  con- 
demned had  been  restored.  My  mother-in-law  in 
concert  with  her  son-in-law,  the  Marquis  de  Lameth, 
acting  in  the  name  of  his  children,  again  entered  into 
possession  of  the  estates  of  Tesson  and  Ambleville 
and  of  the  house  at  Saintes  which  the  Department 
of  the  Charente-Inferieure  had  occupied.  But  when 
they  repuested  that  the  seals  should  be  taken  off  at 

[237] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Le  Bouilh,  the  authorities  objected  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  the  proprietor.  Our  family  represented 
that  the  owner  was  living  in  America  with  a  passport, 
and  that  neither  my  husband  nor  myself,  who  person- 
ally owned  a  house  at  Paris,  had  been  inscribed  upon 
the  list  of  emigres.  After  numerous  discussions  they 
allowed  us  a  delay  of  a  year  in  which  to  put  in  a 
personal  appearance,  in  default  of  which  Le  Bouilh 
would  be  placed  on  sale  as  national  property.  Our 
friends,  therefore,  urged  us  to  return  as  soon  as 
possible.  Nevertheless,  as  the  stability  of  the  French 
Government  inspired,  even  at  this  time,  very  little 
confidence,  they  recommended  us  at  the  same  time 
not  to  take  our  passage  for  a  French  port,  but  rather 
to  return  by  way  of  Spain,  with  which  the  Republic 
had  just  concluded  a  peace  which  seemed  likely  to  be 
durable. 

These  dispatches  fell  in  the  midst  of  our  tranquil 
occupations  like  a  fire-brand  which  quickly  lighted 
in  the  hearts  of  all  around  me  the  thought  of  a  return 
to  their  native  land.  As  for  myself,  I  had  an  entirely 
different  feeling.  France  had  left  in  my  mind  only  a 
recollection  of  horror.  There  I  had  lost  my  youth, 
which  had  been  broken  by  terrors  the  remembrance 
of  which  I  could  not  forget.  I  had  not  then,  and  I 
never  have  had  since  in  my  mind  but  two  feelings 
which  entirely  and  exclusively  mastered  me:  the  love 
of  my  husband  and  of  my  children.  Religion,  the  only 
motive  now  for  all  my  actions,  commanded  me  not 
to  oppose  the  least  obstacle  to  a  departure  which 
frightened  me  and  cost  me  dear.  A  sort  of  pre- 
sentiment caused  me  to  foresee  that  I   was  going 

[  238  ] 


DEPARTURE   FOR    EUROPE 

to  encounter  a  new  life  of  trouble  and  anxieties. 
My  husband  did  not  dream  of  the  intensity  of  my 
regret  when  I  saw  the  moment  of  our  departure 
arrive.  I  imposed  only  one  condition,  that  of  giving 
our  slaves  their  liberty.  My  husband  consented  and 
reserved  for  me  alone  this  happiness. 

These  poor  people,  on  seeing  the  letters  arrive  from 
Europe,  had  feared  some  change  in  our  life.  They 
were  disturbed  and  alarmed.  Therefore,  all  four  of 
them  were  trembling  when  they  entered  my  room  to 
which  I  had  called  them.  They  found  me  alone.  I 
said  to  them  with  emotion:  ''My  friends,  we  are 
going  to  return  to  Europe.  What  shall  I  do  with  you  ?" 
The  poor  creatures  were  overcome.  Judith  dropped 
into  a  chair,  in  tears,  while  the  three  men  covered 
their  faces  with  their  hands,  and  all  remained  silent. 
I  continued:  "We  have  been  so  satisfied  with  you 
that  it  is  just  that  you  should  be  recompensed.  My 
husband  has  charged  me  to  tell  you  that  he  will  give 
you  your  liberty."  On  hearing  this  word  our  good 
servants  were  so  stupified  that  they  remained  for 
several  seconds  without  speech.  Then  all  four  threw 
themselves  at  my  feet  crying:  "Is  it  possible?  Do 
you  mean  that  we  are  free.^"  I  replied:  "Yes,  upon 
my  honor,  from  this  moment,  as  free  as  I  am  myself." 

Who  can  describe  the  poignant  emotion  of  such  a 
moment!  Never  in  my  life  had  I  experienced  any- 
thing so  sweet.  Those  whom  I  had  just  promised 
their  liberty  surrounded  me  In  tears.  They  kissed  my 
hands,  my  feet,  my  dress,  and  then  suddenly  their 
joy  ceased  and  they  said:  "We  would  prefer  to 
remain  slaves  all  our  lives,  if  you  would  stay  here." 

[239] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

The  following  day  my  husband  took  them  to  Al- 
bany before  a  judge,  for  the  ceremony  of  the  manu- 
mission, an  act  which  had  to  be  public.  All  the  negroes 
of  the  city  were  present.  The  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
who  was  at  the  same  time  the  steward  of  Mr.  Van 
Rensselaer,  was  in  very  bad  humor.  He  attempted  to 
assert  that  Prime,  being  fifty  years  of  age,  could  not 
under  the  terms  of  the  law  be  given  his  liberty  unless 
he  was  assured  a  pension  of  a  hundred  dollars.  But 
Prime  had  foreseen  this  case,  and  he  produced  his 
certificate  of  baptism  which  attested  that  he  was 
only  forty-nine.  They  made  the  slaves  kneel  before 
my  husband,  and  he  placed  his  hand  upon  the  head 
of  each  to  sanction  his  liberation,  exactly  in  the 
manner  of  ancient  Rome. 

We  let  our  dwelling,  with  the  land  which  sur- 
rounded it,  to  the  same  individual  from  whom  we  had 
purchased  it,  and  we  sold  the  greater  part  of  our 
equipment.  The  horses  brought  quite  a  high  price. 
I  distributed  by  way  of  souvenirs  several  little 
articles  in  porcelain  which  I  had  brought  from  Europe. 
As  for  my  poor  Judith,  I  left  her  some  old  silk  dresses 
which  have,  without  doubt,  been  handed  down  to  her 
descendants. 

Towards  the  middle  of  April,  1796,  we  embarked 
from  Albany  to  descend  to  New  York,  after  having 
paid  tender  and  thankful  adieux  to  all  those  who  for 
two  years  had  overwhelmed  us  with  tender  thoughts, 
friendship  and  kindness  of  every  kind.  How  many 
times,  two  years  Inter,  when  enduring  another  exile, 
have  I  not  regretted  my  farm  and  my  good  neighbors. 

[240] 


DEPARTURE   FOR    EUROPE 

At  New  York  we  stayed  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olive 
who  received  us  in  their  pretty  Httle  country  house. 
Here,  we  found  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  who  had 
decided,  like  us,  to  return  to  Europe.  Mme.  de  Stael 
was  back  at  Paris,  where  she  was  living  with  Benjamin 
Constant.  She  urged  him  to  return  and  enter  the 
service  of  the  Directory  which  demanded  the  aid  of 
his  ability.  P^or  a  moment  he  had  thought  that  he 
would  take  his  passage  upon  the  same  vessel  with 
us,  but  when  he  learned  our  intention  to  land  at  a 
Spanish  port,  whence  we  expected  to  gain  Bordeaux, 
he  changed  his  plans  and  resolved  to  take  passage 
on  a  vessel  bound  for  Hamburg.  There  was  no  ship 
leaving  for  Coruna  or  for  Bilbao  in  the  north  of 
Spain,  as  we  would  have  wished.  Only  one  boat,  a 
superb  English  vessel  of  four  hundred  tons,  was 
going  to  Cadiz  at  an  early  date.  For  lack  of  anything 
better,  and  in  spite  of  the  long  journey  which  we 
would  have  to  make  in  Spain,  we  decided  to  engage 
our  passage  on  this  vessel.  It  sailed  under  the  Spanish 
flag,  although  it  as  well  as  the  cargo  belonged  to  an 
Englishman.  The  proprietor,  who  was  named  Mr. 
Ensdel,  was  to  go  as  a  passenger.  He  was  an  old  ship- 
owner who  had  been  interested  in  whaling.  He  did 
not  know  a  word  of  French.  The  captain  who  was 
originally  from  Jamaica  also  spoke  only  English,  but 
he  soon  found  a  very  intelligent  interpreter  in  my 
son  who  although  only  six  years  of  age  was  of  great 
use  to  him.  While  occupying  our  time  with  our  outfit 
and  our  arrangements  for  the  voyage,  we  passed  the 
three  remaining  weeks  with  Mrs.  Olive,  in  company 
with  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand. 

[241  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

In  the  harbor  there  was  a  French  sloop  of  war, 
commanded  by  Captain  Barre,  whose  father  my 
husband  had  known  in  the  household  of  the  old  Due 
d'Orleans,  the  father  of  Philippe  Egalite.  Although  a 
regular  sea-dog,  he  was  a  very  pleasant  man.  He 
came  for  us  every  day  in  his  boat  and  conducted 
us  to  every  part  of  the  harbor,  taking  good  care 
never  to  approach  Sandy  Hook  where  Captain,  later 
Admiral,  Cochrane  had  waited  for  two  months  to 
capture  him  if  he  attempted  to  come  out.  We  visited 
his  sloop,  which  was  armed  with  fifteen  guns.  It  was 
a  jewel  of  order,  neatness  and  care.  How  I  should  have 
loved  to  have  returned  to  Europe  in  this  fine  boat. 

But  the  "  Maria-Josepha "  awaited  us.  We  went 
on  board,  my  husband,  myself,  our  young  son, 
Humbert,  and  Monsieur  de  Chambeau,  the  sixth  of 
May,  1796,  and  the  same  day  we  set  sail.  There  were 
several  other  passengers  on  board.  Among  them  was 
Monsieur  de  Lavaur,  an  emigre,  a  former  officer  of 
the  Constitutional  Guard  of  Louis  XVI,  who  had 
escaped  from  a  thousand  dangers  at  the  time  of  the 
massacres  of  the  tenth  of  August.  As  he  was  from 
Bordeaux,  a  kind  of  attachment  was  formed  between 
him  and  my  husband.  Then  there  was  a  French 
merchant.  Monsieur  Tisserandot,  and  his  wife.  He 
had  been  unfortunate  in  business  at  New  York  and 
was, going  to  make  another  attempt  at  Madrid.  His 
wife  was  young,  sweet,  quite  well  brought  up,  but 
lazy.  The  persons  whom  I  have  just  named,  with 
Mr.  Ensdel  and  the  captain,  made  up  the  table  in  the 
large  salon. 

I  did  not  suffer  from  sea-sickness,  and,  the  weather 

[242] 


DEPARTURE   FOR   EUROPE 

being  superb,  1  was  occupied  all  day  long.  As  I  soon 
finished  the  work  which  1  had  brought  for  my  husband 
and  myself,  I  then  set  up  for  a  general  seamstress 
and  announced  that  any  one  could  give  me  work  to 
do.  Every  one  brought  me  something.  I  had  shirts  to 
make,  cravats  to  hem  and  linen  to  mark.  The  voyage 
lasted  forty  days,  because  the  captain,  against  the 
advice  of  Mr.  Ensdel,  had  taken  a  southerly  course, 
and  had  been  carried  away  by  the  currents.  This 
time  was  sufficient  for  me  to  put  the  wardrobe  of 
everybody  on  the  boat  in  order. 

Finally  about  the  tenth  of  June,  we  saw  Cape 
Saint-Vincent  and  the  next  day  we  entered  the 
harbor  of  Cadiz.  The  captain  by  his  stupidity  and 
ignorance  had  prolonged  our  voyage  by  at  least 
fifteen  days  by  allowing  himself  to  be  carried  towards 
the  coast  of  Africa,  whence  he  had  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  in  returning  to  the  north.  He  believed  that 
he  was  so  far  from  land  that  he  had  not  even  thought 
of  sending  a  sailor  as  a  look-out  to  the  top  of  the 
mast.  When  he  discovered,  at  daybreak.  Cape 
Saint-Vincent,  which  is  very  high,  he  was  entirely 
disconcerted. 

We  were  moored  alongside  a  French  vessel  with 
three  decks,  the  "Jupiter."  It  was  there  with  a 
French  fleet  which  had  been  prevented  from  going 
out  by  the  English  men-of-war,  superior  in  number, 
which  were  cruising  every  day  almost  in  sight  of  the 
port. 

We  were  visited  at  once  by  the  boat  of  the  health 
officer  who  notified  us  that  we  would  be  kept  a  week 

[  243  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

on  board  in  quarantine.  We  preferred  this  to  being 
sent  to  the  lazarette  where  we  would  have  been 
devoured  by  all  the  numerous  insects  which  are  so 
abundant  in  Spain.  If  we  had  been  able  to  find  a 
boat  which  was  going  to  Bilbao  or  Barcelona,  we 
should  have  taken  passage.  The  voyage  thus  would 
have  been  shorter,  less  tiresome  and  less  expensive. 

The  name  of  Monsieur  de  Chambeau  had  not  been 
erased  from  the  list  of  emigres,  and  he  was  not  able 
to  return  to  France.  He  wished  to  go  to  Madrid 
where  he  knew  several  persons,  but,  nevertheless,  he 
would  have  willingly  accompanied  us  as  far  as  Barce- 
lona, which  would  have  brought  him  quite  near  to 
Auch,  a  city  in  which  he  owned  some  property. 

The  uncertainty  of  our  plans  formed  the  subject  of 
our  conversation  during  the  quarantine  which  lasted 
ten  days  and  which  might  have  been  prolonged  even 
more  on  account  of  the  desertion  of  one  of  our  sailors. 
This  man,  of  French  nationality,  had  been  captured 
in  a  combat  upon  a  sloop  of  war.  He  recognized  a 
sailor  on  board  the  "Jupiter"  which  was  moored 
alongside  us  and  spoke  to  him  through  a  megaphone. 
The  same  night  he  swam  to  the  ''Jupiter"  and  when 
the  health  officer  proceeded  to  call  the  roll  the  follow- 
ing morning,  no  trace  of  him  could  be  found,  except 
his  shirt  and  trousers.  This  was  his  whole  wardrobe. 
This  incident  prolonged  our  quarantine  until  the 
day  that  it  was  ascertained  that  the  fugitive  was  on 
the  French  vessel. 

The  quarantine  was  nearly  fatal  to  me.  Every  day 
sellers  of  fruit  came  alongside  the  boat,  and  I  passed 
my  time  with  Mme.  Tisserandot  in  lowering  a  basket 

[244] 


DEPARTURE   FOR   EUROPE 

by  means  of  a  cord  in  order  to  obtain  figs,  oranges 
and  strawberries.  Eating  this  fruit  made  me  very  ill. 

Finally  permission  was  received  to  give  us  our 
liberty.  The  captain  put  us  on  land,  and  never  in 
my  life  have  I  been  so  much  embarrassed  as  at  this 
moment.  On  landing  they  ordered  Mme.  Tisserandot 
and  myself  to  enter  a  little  room  looking  out  on  the 
street,  while  they  examined  our  effects  with  the  most 
exaggerated  minuteness.  Our  colored  dresses  and  our 
straw  hats  soon  attracted  a  large  crowd  of  individuals 
of  every  age  and  of  every  condition:  sailors  and 
monks,  porters  and  gentlemen  —  all  anxious  to  see 
what  they  doubtless  considered  to  be  two  curious 
animals.  As  for  our  husbands,  they  had  been  de- 
tained in  the  room  where  our  baggage  was  examined. 
We  were  therefore  alone  with  my  son. 

This  indiscreet  curiosity  decided  us,  my  companion 
and  myself,  immediately  to  dress  like  the  Spanish 
women.  Even  before  proceeding  to  the  inn,  we  went 
to  purchase  black  skirts  and  mantillas  so  as  to  be 
able  to  go  out  without  scandalizing  the  whole  popula- 
tion. We  stopped  at  the  hotel  which  was  reputed  to 
be  the  best  at  Cadiz,  but  which  was  so  dirty  as  to 
cause  me  the  greatest  discomfort,  accustomed  as  I 
was  to  the  exquisite  neatness  of  America,  and  I  would 
willingly  have  returned  on  board  our  boat. 

I  happened  to  remember  that  one  of  the  sisters  of 
poor  Theobald  Dillon,  massacred  at  Lille  in  1792, 
had  married  an  English  merchant  established  at 
Cadiz,  by  the  name  of  Langton.  Having  written  him 
a  polite  note,  he  came  at  once  and  was  very  attentive 
to  us.  At  that  time  his  w  ife  with  his  younger  daughter 

[245] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

was  at  Madrid  visiting  a  married  daughter,  the  Ba- 
ronne  d'Andilla.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Langton  invited  us 
to  dinner  and  even  wished  to  have  us. stay  at  his  house. 
But  we  did  not  accept,  as  I  was  too  ill  to  take  the 
trouble  to  be  polite.  It  was  arranged  that  the  dinner 
should  be  put  off  until  the  first  day  that  I  felt  better. 

The  day  after  our  arrival  my  husband  took  our 
passport  to  be  vised  by  the  French  Consul-General. 
He  was  a  Monsieur  de  Roquesante,  a  former  Comte 
or  Marquis,  now  changed  into  a  hot  Republican,  if 
not  a  Terrorist.  He  asked  my  husband  a  hundred 
questions  and  made  a  note  of  his  replies.  All  this 
was  very  much  like  an  examination.  Then  he  suddenly 
exclaimed,  **  Citizen,  we  have  received  to-day  excellent 
news  from  France.  That  rascal  Charette  has  finally 
been  taken  and  shot."  *'So  much  the  worse,"  replied 
Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  '*he  was  at  least  a 
worthy  man."  The  Consul  then  kept  silent  and 
signed  the  passport,  which  he  reminded  my  husband 
it  would  be  necessary  to  present  again  to  the  French 
Ambassador  at  Madrid.  Later  we  learned  the  manner 
in  which  he  had  recommended  us  at  Bayonne. 

At  this  time  Spain,  having  concluded  peace  with 
the  French  Republic,  had  disbanded  the  greater  part 
of  her  army,  probably  without  paying  them.  The 
roads  were  infested  with  brigands,  especially  the 
mountains  of  the  Sierra  Morena  which  we  had  to 
cross.  We  travelled  in  a  convoy  composed  of  several 
carriages  only.  We  did  not  take  any  military  escort, 
which  would  have  probably  been  in  league  with  the 
brigands,  the  former  soldiers,  but  the  mounted 
travellers   who   joined    the   convoy  had   taken   the 

[246] 


DEPARTURE   FOR    EUROPE 

precaution  to  be  armed  to  the  teeth.  A  convoy  was 
usually  composed  of  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  covered 
chariots  drawn  by  mules. 

It  is  thus  that  we  set  out  from  Cadiz.  We  occupied, 
my  husband,  my  son  and  myself,  one  of  these  chariots, 
in  which  we  were  stretched  out  at  full  length  upon 
our  mattresses.  Below,  in  the  bottom  of  the  chariot, 
was  placed  our  baggage,  covered  with  a  bed  of  straw 
which  filled  the  spaces  between  the  trunks.  A  hood  of 
cane  artistically  sewn  and  covered  by  a  tarpaulin 
protected  us  from  the  sun  during  the  day  and  from 
the  humidity  during  the  night,  for  it  happened  several 
times  that  we  preferred  the  chariot  to  an  inn. 

But  in  speaking  so  soon  of  our  departure,  I  have 
anticipated,  because  we  remained  a  week  at  Cadiz. 
Every  evening  we  walked  upon  the  beautiful  prome- 
nade of  L'Alameda,  which  looks  out  on  the  sea, 
where  you  can  breathe  a  little  air  after  having  endured 
during  the  day  a  heat  of  95  degrees. 

A  spectacle  which  I  have  never  forgotten  was  the 
magnificent  bull-fight  the  day  of  Saint-Jean.  This 
national  fete  of  Spain  has  been  described  so  often 
that  I  will  not  attempt  to  write  of  it  here.  The 
amphitheatre  was  immense  and  held  at  least  four  or 
five  thousand  persons  who  were  seated  upon  the 
steps  and  were  protected  from  the  sun  by  a  canvas 
awning  similar  to  the  velum  of  the  Roman  amphi- 
theatres. This  awning  was  kept  constantly  wet  by  a 
spray  like  fine  rain  which  did  not  go  through  the 
cloth.  Thus,  although  the  performance  began  after 
the  mid-day  mass  and  lasted  until  sunset,  I  do  not 
recall  having  suffered  a  moment  from  the  heat. 

[247] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

They  killed  ten  bulls,  who  were  so  beautiful  and 
so  well-bred  that  they  would  have  made  the  fortune 
of  an  American  farmer.  The  matador  was  the  first 
of  his  kind  at  this  epoch.  He  was  a  handsome  young 
man  of  twenty-five  years.  In  spite  of  the  terrible 
danger  which  he  ran,  on  account  of  his  remarkable 
agility,  you  did  not  feel  any  anxiety.  Certainly,  at 
the  moment  when  the  two  adversaries,  alone  face  to 
face,  looked  steadily  at  each  other,  before  the  bull 
rushed  upon  the  matador,  the  most  poignant  emotion 
which  could  possibly  be  felt  gripped  all  of  the  spec- 
tators. You  could  have  heard  a  pin  drop.  But  you 
must  understand  that  the  matador  does  not  give  the 
coup  d'epee.  He  only  directs  the  point  of  the  sword 
upon  which  the  bull  rushes  to  empale  himself.  This 
spectacle  was  an  epoch  in  my  life  and  no  other  has 
left  upon  me  so  powerful  an  impression.  I  have  never 
forgotten  the  slightest  detail  and  the  recollection  is 
as  fresh  in  my  memory  after  so  many  years,  as  if  I 
had  seen  it  yesterday. 

The  day  fixed  for  our  departure  we  let  the  convoy 
set  out  and  remained,  my  husband,  my  son  and 
myself,  to  dine  with  Mr.  Langton.  A  bark  which  had 
been  prepared  by  his  thoughtfulness  was  to  take  us 
to  the  other  side  of  the  bay  to  rejoin  our  caravan  at 
Port-Sainte-Marie  where  we  were  to  pass  the  night. 
During  this  long  journey  we  did  not  travel  faster 
than  a  man  can  walk  on  foot. 

I  was  feeling  so  ill  that  my  husband  hesitated  to 
let  me  set  out,  and  yet  there  was  no  means  of  draw- 
ing back.  Our  baggage  had  been  sent  forward.  We 
had  paid  half  of  the  cost  of  our  trip  as  far  as  Madrid. 

[248] 


DEPARTURE   FOR    EUROPE 

Our  passport  had  been  vised  and  Monsieur  de 
Roquesante,  a  Republican  Consul,  would  have  re- 
garded any  delay  with  suspicion.  He  would  have 
attributed  it  to  some  pretext,  and  as  1  have  always 
believed  that  one  can  surmount  any  evil,  except 
perhaps  a  broken  leg,  the  thought  never  occurred 
to  me  to  remain  at  Cadiz.  We  therefore  dined  with 
Mr.  Langton,  after  having  been  present  at  the  de- 
parture of  our  travelling  companions  who  were  to 
sleep  at  Port-Sainte-Marie. 

Nothing  could  be  more  delightful  in  point  of  neat- 
ness and  care  than  this  place  of  Mr.  Langton,  which 
was  kept  in  the  English  fashion.  He  had  adopted 
none  of  the  Spanish  practices  except  those  customary 
to  avoid  the  inconvenience  of  the  very  hot  climate. 
The  house  was  built  around  a  square  court  filled 
with  flowers.  On  the  ground  floor  there  was  a  line  of 
arcades  and  an  open  gallery  at  the  first  floor.  An 
awning  stretched  at  the  height  of  the  roof  covered 
the  whole  surface  of  the  court.  In  the  middle  a  jet 
of  water  reached  the  canvas,  which  being  thus  con- 
stantly wet  communicated  a  delightful  freshness  to 
the  whole  house.  I  admit  that  I  experienced  a  very 
painful  feeling  in  thinking  that  instead  of  remaining 
in  this  agreeable  place  it  was  necessary  for  me  to 
begin  a  long  journey  in  a  heat  of  95  degrees.  But  the 
die  was  cast,  and  it  was  necessary  to  depart.  After 
this  farewell  dinner,  towards  evening,  we  entered  the 
bark,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half,  the  wind  being  favor- 
able, we  arrived  at  Port-Sainte-Marie.  There  we  found 
our  caravan,  composed  of  fourteen  carriages  and  six 
or  seven  hidalgos^  armed  from  head  to  foot. 

[249] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

The  aim  of  our  second  day's  journey  was  Xeres, 
situated  at  a  distance  of  only  five  leagues.  As  I  had 
need  of  rest,  we  made  up  our  minds  once  more  to  let 
the  caravan  go  ahead  and  to  rejoin  it  in  the  evening. 
We  therefore  took  dinner  at  an  early  hour  at  Port- 
Sainte-Marie,  a  very  pretty  locality.  Then  we  took 
a  cabriolet  similar  to  tho$e  which  I  see  here  at  Pisa 
where  I  am  writing  these  Recollections.  Our  vehicle 
was  attached  to  a  large  mule  which  had  no  bridle, 
which  seemed  to  me  curious.  Upon  the  head  of  the 
mule  was  balanced  a  high  plume  to  which  bells  were 
attached.  A  young  boy,  with  whip  in  hand,  sprang 
lightly  upon  the  shafts,  uttered  some  cabalistic  words, 
and  the  mule  set  out  at  a  trot  as  rapid  as  a  good 
hunting  gallop.  The  route  was  superb  and  we  went 
like  the  wind,  the  mule  obeying  docilely  the  voice  of 
his  little  driver,  avoiding  obstacles,  and  winding 
through  the  streets  of  the  villages  which  we  traversed, 
with  a  wonderful  sagacity.  At  first  I  was  afraid,  but 
reflecting  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  country  to 
drive  this  way,  I  became  resigned. 

Arrived  at  Xeres,  I  was  curious  to  know  the  value 
of  a  mule  like  the  one  which  had  conducted  us  and 
was  told  that  it  was  worth  from  fifty  to  sixty  louis, 
which  seemed  to  me  quite  dear. 

The  following  day  began  our  real  travels.  I  was  still 
indisposed,  but,  stretched  out  as  I  was  upon  a  good 
mattress,  and  the  road  being  very  fine,  I  did  not 
sufi^er  more  than  I  would  have  if  I  had  remained 
quiet.  At  two  o'clock  we  stopped  for  dinner  in 
some  wretched  inn,  and  it  happened  two  or  three 
times  that  we  preferred  to  pass  the   night   in  our 

[250] 


DEPARTURE   FOR   EUROPE 

chariot,  rather  than  to  sleep  in  beds  so  filthy  as  to 
be  disgusting. 

It  was  night  when  we  arrived  at  Cordova.  As  we 
were  travelling  a  certain  distance  behind,  all  the 
other  members  of  the  party  had  already  found  their 
lodgings  when  we  reached  the  iim.  As  there  were  only 
beds  to  be  had  at  the  inn,  it  was  necessary  to  look 
for  a  place  to  eat.  We  finally  succeeded,  with  some 
difficulty,  on  account  of  the  advanced  hour,  in  finding 
a  kind  of  cabaret,  where  we  could  only  obtain  some 
bread  and  a  few  slices  of  fried  bacon. 

The  following  morning  there  was  a  delay  in  the 
departure  of  the  convoy,  which  gave  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  see  the  magnificent  Cathedral  of  Cordova 
'of  which  so  many  descriptions  have  been  written. 
You  can  readily  believe  that  travelling  in  so  un- 
comfortable a  manner  and  also  feeling  quite  ill,  in 
the  heat  which  reigned  in  Andalusia  from  mid-day 
to  three  o'clock,  the  period  of  the  day  that  we 
ordinarily  stopped,  I  did  not  feel  like  visiting  the 
monuments.  This  time  we  passed  an  hour  in  walking 
through  the  forest  of  columns  of  this  cathedral.  The 
muleteers  came  to  urge  us  to  set  out.  They  were 
carrying  sufficient  provisions  for  two  meals  which  we 
were  to  take  in  the  open  that  day,  as  there  was  no 
dwelling  in  existence  in  the  part  of  the  country 
which  we  were  going  to  traverse. 

On  leaving  Cordova,  we  rode  for  a  whole  hour  In  the 
midst  of  groves  of  lemon  trees,  and  of  Moorish  olive 
trees,  which  were  abundantly  watered,  before  arriving 
at  the  wall  of  the  ancient  city  of  which  vestiges  are 
still  being  uncovered.  This  will  give  an  idea  of  the 

[251] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

immense  surface  which  was  covered  by  this  large 
Moorish  city  of  other  days,  as  in  Italy  you  obtain 
an  idea  in  the  same  way  of  the  limits  of  ancient  Rome. 

We  had  our  dinner,  as  had  been  arranged,  near  a 
well  in  the  midst  of  a  pasture  covered  with  sheep. 
The  eye  could  not  measure  the  extent  of  this  plain, 
which  was  several  leagues  long,  and  covered  in  part 
with  fine  grass,  and  in  part  with  dwarf  myrtle  trees. 
Several  pomegranates  covered  with  blossoms  arose 
around  the  well.  This  halt  had  something  oriental 
about  it  which  singularly  pleased  me.  I  preferred  it 
very  much  to  the  stops  of  three  hours  in  the  dirty 
inns  which  were  always  so  hot. 

The  next  day  and  the  days  following  we  crossed 
the  Sierra  Morena  and  saw  the  two  pretty  little 
cities  of  La  Carlota  and  La  Carolina.  These  had  been 
built  by  German  Colonists,  and  we  observed  that 
certain  characteristics  of  the  German  physiognomy 
had  not  yet  been  entirely  effaced.  We  encountered 
children  with  blond  hair  whose  complexion,  as  dark 
as  that  of  the  Spaniards,  was  in  marked  contrast 
with  their  blue  eyes.  These  little  cities  are  pictur- 
esque, and  are  constructed  with  regularity  on  fine 
sites.  This  route  which  is  very  beautiful  is  bordered 
on  all  the  hills  by  a  parapet  of  marble.  At  the  time 
this  was  the  only  road  between  the  south  of  Spain 
and  Castile. 

To  my  great  regret  we  did  not  pass  by  Toledo. 
We  arrived  at  Aranjuez  for  dinner  the  fifteenth  day 
of  our  journey,  I  think.  Here  we  remained  for  the 
rest  of  the  day.  We  admired  the  fresh  shade,  the 
handsome  weeping  willows  and  the  green  prairies. 

[252] 


DEPARTURE   FOR    EUROPE 

After  having  come  from  Andalusia  which  was  baked 
by  the  sun  of  July,  it  seemed  to  us  like  a  green  oasis 
in  the  midst  of  a  desert.  The  River  Tagus,  although 
very  small,  is  conducted  with  such  art  through  this 
charming  valley  as  to  produce  everywhere  a  delight- 
ful freshness.  The  Court  was  not  then  at  Aranjuez; 
nevertheless,  for  some  reason  which  I  have  for- 
gotten, we  did  not  visit  the  Chateau. 

The  following  day  we  reached  Madrid,  after  a 
halt  of  two  hours  at  Puerta  del  Sol,  while  our  baggage 
was  being  examined,  ransacked  and  inspected.  It 
would  have  been  useless  to  show  any  impatience  for 
the  smig-froid  of  the  Castilians  is  not  put  out  by 
anything.  Finally  the  signal  for  our  departure  was 
given  and  they  took  us  to  the  hotel,  a  mediocre  inn 
located  in  a  small  street. 

Here  we  were  assigned  quite  a  good  room.  My 
husband  immediately  dispatched  the  letters  and 
packages  with  which  Mr.  Langton  had  charged  us 
for  his  wife  and  his  two  daughters.  Then  I  made  a 
more  careful  toilette  than  that  of  my  chariot,  with 
the  intention  of  going  to  see  these  ladies  after  our 
dinner.  But  they  called  on  us  first.  A  half-hour  had 
hardly  elapsed  when  we  received  a  visit  from  two 
of  the  most  beautiful  ladies  I  have  ever  seen,  Baronne 
d'Andilla  and  Mile.  Carmen  Langton.  The  mother 
who  was  ill  had  not  been  able  to  go  out.  Their 
brother-in-law,  Monsieur  Broun,  accompanied  them. 
Mis  wife  who  was  dead  had  been  the  third  Mile. 
Langton,  who  was  said  to  have  been  more  beautiful 
even  than  her  sisters.  These  ladies  showed  us  great 
kindness  and  attention  and  their  brother-in-law  pro- 

[253  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

posed  that  we  should  take  a  Httle  furnished  lodging 
in  the  quarter  where  these  ladies  lived.  He  took 
charge  of  all  the  necessary  arrangements  and  placed 
himself  at  our  disposal  for  all  the  time  that  we  re- 
mained at  Madrid.  Our  sojourn  could  not  be  shorter 
than  a  month  or  six  weeks  at  least,  because  we  were 
awaiting  replies  from  Bordeaux  to  the  letters  which 
we  had  written  from  Cadiz. 

However,  on  account  of  the  delicate  state  of  my 
health,  I  wished  to  be  at  Le  Bouilh  before  the  tenth 
of  November.  My  husband  went  the  following  day 
to  see  the  ambassador  of  the  Directory  to  have  his 
passport  put  in  order.  As  he  still  preserved  a  very 
vivid  recollection  of  the  reception  of  the  citizen,  the 
former  Comte  or  Marquis,  de  Roquesante,  he  was 
very  agreeably  surprised  by  the  kind  reception  of  the 
ambassador.  He  was  the  General,  later  the  Marechal, 
Perignon.  Formerly  under  the  command  of  my  father, 
he  had  received  from  him  assistance  which  advanced 
his  career.  Not  having  forgotten  this,  he  was  full  of 
politeness  for  my  husband.  Nevertheless,  his  gratitude 
did  not  go  so  far  as  to  honor  me  with  his  visit.  The 
seigneurs  of  other  days  were  not  yet  in  fashion,  as 
they  became  later  on. 

We  remained  six  weeks  at  Madrid,  during  which 
time  we  were  overwhelmed  with  the  thoughtfulness, 
the  attentions  and  the  kindness  of  the  Langton  and 
Andilla  families.  The  son-in-law  of  Mme.  Langton, 
Monsieur  Broun,  whose  wife  had  died  the  preceding 
year,  conducted  us  to  all  the  most  interesting  parts 
of  the  city,  and  every  evening  Mme.  d'Andilla  took 
us  to  the  Corso,  then  to  take  an  ice  in  a  fashionable 

[254] 


DEPARTURE   FOR   EUROPE 

cafe  at  the  end  of  the  Rue  d'Alcala.  Monsieur  Broun 
showed  us  the  portrait  of  his  wife.  She  had  been  as 
beautiful  as,  if  not  more  beautiful  tlian^  her  sisters, 
and  he  could  not  be  consoled  for  her  loss,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-two  years. 


[255] 


CHAPTER  SIX 

1796-1797 

VISIT  TO  PARIS 

Departure  from  Madrid. —  The  Escurial. —  Arrival  on  Saint- 
Sebastien. —  Bonie  Rejoins  Us. —  Apprehensions  on  Re- 
turning to  France. —  Arrival  at  Bayonne. —  Monsieur  de 
Brouquens  Again. —  Arrival  at  Le  Bouilh, —  Devastation 
of  the  Chateau. —  The  Library  Saved. —  Return  of  Mar- 
guerite.—  Birth  of  Charlotte. —  Absence  of  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Fortune  Compromised. —  Dispersion  of 
the  Family  Souvenirs. —  Trip  to  Paris. —  Devastation  of 
the  Chateau  of  Tesson. —  Talleyrand  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs. —  Jealousy  of  Tallien. 

FINALLY  we  received  a  letter  from  Bonie 
stating  the  day  that  he  would  await  us  at 
Bayonne,  and  this  time  we  engaged  a  little 
collier  as  to  transport  ourselves  and  our  baggage. 
Monsieur  de  Lavaur,  who  had  received  word  that 
his  name  had  been  erased  from  the  list  of  emigres, 
proposed  to  accompany  us,  and  we  consented,  al- 
though this  was  not  at  all  agreeable  to  us.  Monsieur 
de  Chambeau  was  obliged  to  remain  at  Madrid. 
The  tender  friendship  which  he  bore  us,  and  of  which 
he  had  given  us  many  proofs,  rendered  this  separa- 
tion very  painful  for  him  and  for  us.  For  a  period  of 
three  years,  he  had  shared  all  of  our  vicissitudes,  our 
interests  and  our  troubles.  My  husband  considered 
him  as  a  brother.  During  the  long  years  of  exile, 

C256] 


VISIT  TO   PARIS 

our  thoughts  had  been  the  same.  Thus  our  departure 
was  a  sad  blow  to  our  poor  friend.  He  had  no  money, 
as  no  one  had  thought  to  send  him  any.  We  were 
happy  to  be  in  a  position  to  leave  him  fifty  louis, 
and  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  welcomed  in  the 
house  of  the  Comtesse  de  Galvez,  where  he  remained 
until  1800. 

We  left  Madrid  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
to  spend  the  night  at  the  Escurial.  The  collieras 
was  a  hne  old  berline,  drawn  by  seven  mules,  which 
were  conducted,  or  rather  counseled  and  exhorted, 
by  a  coachman  seated  upon  the  box  and  by  an 
assistant-postillion  armed  with  a  long  whip.  The 
latter  sprang  alternately  from  one  to  the  other  of 
the  mules,  who  had  no  bridles  and  obeyed  only  his 
voice.  However,  I  think  that  the  mules  at  the  pole 
had  reins,  but  the  five  others  certainly  not.  One  of 
them,  the  seventh,  marched  alone  in  front.  She  was 
named  the  *'Generala"  and  guided  all  the  others. 

At  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  Madrid,  the  coach- 
man perceived  that  he  had  forgotten  his  mantle.  In 
spite  of  the  stifling  heat,  he  was  not  willing  to  go 
another  step  before  the  postillion  had  gone  back  to 
look  for  it  mounted  on  one  of  the  mules.  This  de- 
layed us  much,  and  we  reached  the  Escurial  only 
late  in  the  evening. 

Nearly  all  of  the  following  day  was  consecrated 
to  a  visit  to  this  admirable  monastery,  of  which  so 
many  descriptions  have  been  written.  Among  all 
those  which  I  have  read  since,  none  has  seemed  to 
me  perfectly  exact.  They  do  not  picture  the  kind  of 
sad  religious  calm  with  which  this  place,  this  chef- 

[257] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

d'ceuvre  of  all  the  arts,  in  the  midst  of  a  desert, 
imbues  the  soul.  So  many  marvellous  things  seem  to 
have  been  brought  together  in  this  solitude,  only  to 
recall  to  the  mind  the  futility  and  the  inutility  of  the 
works  of  man.  Since  then,  when  the  events  which 
have  distracted  Spain  have  been  unrolled  before  me, 
I  have  been  struck  by  the  prophecy  of  the  father 
who  showed  us  the  subterranean  chapel  in  which 
are  buried  the  Kings  of  Spain  since  Philip  II.  After 
having  walked  through  the  midst  of  these  tombs,  all 
of  which  are  similar,  he  called  our  attention  to  one 
which  remained  empty:  that  destined  for  the  reign- 
ing King,  Charles  IV,  and  at  the  same  time  placing 
his  hand  on  the  sarcophagus,  which  was  kept  open 
by  a  wedge  of  marble,  he  said  to  us  in  Italian:  "Who 
knows  whether  he  will  ever  occupy  it?"  At  the 
moment,  this  remark  did  not  arrest  my  attention, 
but  long  afterwards,  when  I  saw  this  unfortunate 
Prince  chased  from  his  throne,  this  prophetic  speech 
returned  to  my  mind. 

Since  the  discovery  of  America  and  of  the  gold  and 
silver  mines  of  Peru,  the  Kings  of  Spain  have  made 
every  3^ear,  to  the  Church  of  the  Escurial,  a  mag- 
nificent present  of  these  two  metals.  It  thus  happens 
that  the  Treasury  of  the  Church  has  become  the 
richest  in  all  Europe.  All  of  the  articles  provided  by 
this  luxurious  custom,  arranged  in  order  by  years, 
testified,  to  an  observing  eye,  to  the  successive  de- 
terioration in  taste,  from  the  first  signed  by  Ben- 
venuto  Cellini,  to  the  last  of  very  recent  date. 

The  top  of  the  high  altar,  a  bas-relief  in  solid 
silver,  representing  the  apotheosis  of  Saint  Laurent, 

C258] 


VISIT  TO   PARIS 

Patron  of  the  Escurial,  although  of  an  unequalled 
magnificence,  was  not  satisfactory  as  a  work  of  art. 
I  say  "was"  not,  for  there  is  reason  to  suppose  that 
the  misfortunes  of  Spain  have  led  to  the  destruction 
of  all  these  masterpieces.  The  different  objects  used 
for  the  religious  worship  were  arranged  in  armoires 
a  glaces  made  of  the  finest  wood  of  the  East  Indies. 
I  have  preserved  a  clear  recollection  of  a  sacred 
ciborium  (ciboire),  in  the  form  of  a  map  of  the  world 
surmounted  by  a  cross,  the  middle  of  which  was 
ornamented  by  an  enormous  diamond  and  the  arms 
with  four  large  pearls.  There  were  also  monstrances 
(ostensoirs)  entirely  covered  with  precious  stones. 
They  showed  us  the  ornament  du  jour  de  Paques, 
made  of  red  velvet  embroidered  entirely  with  fine 
pearls  of  different  sizes,  according  to  the  design. 
Many  persons  would  not  perhaps  have  appreciated 
this  magnificence,  for  the  smallest  piece  of  stuflF  em- 
bossed with  silver  produced  more  efi'ect.  Neverthe- 
less, there  were  many  million  pearls  upon  these  plain 
pieces  of  velvet. 

We  ascended  to  the  rood-loft  (juhf),  where  we  saw 
some  admirable  books  of  the  Church,  formed  of 
leaves  of  vellum,  the  margins  of  which  were  painted 
by  the  pupils  of  Raphael  from  his  designs.  These 
volumes  in  grand  in-folio,  ornamented  with  corners 
of  silver,  bound  in  a  brown  skin  showing  the  reverse 
side,  were  placed  in  a  kind  of  open  case  separated 
from  one  another  by  slender  pieces  of  wood.  On 
account  of  their  weight,  it  would  have  been  difficult 
to  take  them  out  of  their  case.  To  obviate  this  in- 
convenience, there  was  arranged  at  the  bottom  of 

[259] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

each  of  these  cases  httle  ivory  wheels  traversed  by 
iron  pins  around  which  they  turned.  In  this  manner, 
the  slightest  effort  was  enough  to  draw  one  of  these 
books  to  you.  I  have  never  seen  this  method  em- 
ployed in  any  other  library. 

In  this  high  gallery  of  the  Escurlal  we  found  the 
magnificent  Christ  in  silver,  of  life  size,  made  by 
Benvenuto  Cellini.  After  having  visited  and  admired 
this  magnificent  Church,  I  was  left  alone  while  my 
husband  and  Monsieur  de  Lavaur  went  to  visit  the 
Monastery  and  the  Library  where  they  saw  the 
beautiful  picture  of  Raphael  named  La  Vierge  a  la 
Perle.  I  had  not  been  informed  at  Madrid  that  a 
woman  was  not  able  to  visit  the  Library,  which  was 
situated  in  the  interior  of  the  Monastery,  without  a 
special  permit.  I  regretted  this  greatly. 

During  the  long  time  that  I  awaited  my  travelling 
companions,  I  had  time  for  my  mind  to  become  lost 
in  many  meditations.  I  thought  of  the  beauty  of 
this  edifice,  then  of  the  battle  of  Saint-Quentin,  lost 
by  the  French,  on  the  tenth  of  August,  1557,  the 
fete  day  of  Saint  Laurent,  in  commemoration  of 
which  the  Escurial  was  built  by  Philip  II,  the  savage 
father  of  Don  Carlos.  So  when  my  husband  returned 
and  tapped  me  on  the  shoulder,  saying,  "Let  us  go 
to  see  the  house  of  the  Prince,"  I  was  almost  vexed 
to  have  my  thoughts  disturbed.  My  son,  being  only  a 
boy,  had  accompanied  his  father  and  was  very  proud 
to  be  able  to  relate  to  me  what  he  had  seen. 

We  then  proceeded  to  this  house  of  the  Prince, 
erected  by  Charles  IV  while  he  was  Prince  of  the 
Asturias  and  where  he  retired  when  the  Court  was 

[260] 


VISIT  TO   PARIS 

at  the  Escurial,  to  escape  from  the  rigorous  Spanish 
etiquette.  It  resembled  a  very  elegant  little  house, 
which  a  modest  broker  would  hardly  be  contented 
with  in  our  day.  Pretty  furniture,  little  tables,  orna- 
ments of  doubtful  taste,  a  quantity  of  draperies  of 
the  most  shabby  effect,  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a 
petit  logis  de  fille.  What  a  contrast  with  the  admirable 
Church  which  we  had  just  left!  It  gave  me  a  very 
disagreeable  impression. 

Having  returned  to  the  inn,  we  at  once  set  out  to 
go  to  pass  the  night  at  La  Granja,  where  the  Court 
was  in  residence  at  the  Royal  Chateau.  Here  we  were 
to  find  dispatches  from  the  American  Minister,  Mr. 
Rutledge,  for  his  Consul  at  Bayonne.  He  invited  us 
to  supper,  and  the  following  day  we  set  out  for 
Segovie,  a  very  picturesque  little  city  with  a  chateau, 
of  which  we  saw  only  the  court  surrounded  by  arcades 
in  the  Moorish  style.  The  remainder  of  our  journey 
was  very  uneventful.  We  remained  a  day  at  Vittoria 
to  care  for  the  ''Generala,"  without  whom  we  could 
not  proceed.  Then  a  day  at  Burgos,  where  I  went  to 
see  the  Cathedral,  and  finally  we  arrived  at  Saint- 
Sebastlen,  where  Bonie  awaited  us. 

I  felt  no  pleasure  in  returning  to  France.  On  the 
contrary,  the  sufferings  which  I  had  endured  during 
the  last  six  months  of  my  sojourn  had  left  in  my 
mind  a  sentiment  of  terror  and  horror  which  I  could 
not  overcome.  I  thought  that  my  husband  was  com- 
ing back  with  his  fortune  lost,  and  that  diflFicult 
affairs  would  occupy  him  disagreeably  and  that  we 
were  condemned  to  live  in  a  large  devastated  chateau, 
for  everything  had   been   sold    at   Le    Bouilh.    My 

[261] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

mother-in-law  was  still  living.  She  had  again  entered 
into  possession  of  Tesson  and  Ambleville.  Without 
any  intelligence,  very  suspicious,  very  obstinate,  in 
business  she  had  confidence  in  no  one.  How  much  I 
regretted  my  farm,  my  tranquillity!  It  was  with  a 
very  heavy  heart  that  I  crossed  the  bridge  of  the 
Bidassoa  and  realized  that  I  was  upon  the  territory 
of  the  Republic  "one  and  indivisible." 

We  arrived  at  Bayonne  in  the  evening.  Hardly 
had  we  entered  the  inn  when  two  members  of  the 
National  Guard  came  to  look  for  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  to  take  him  before  the  authorities, 
represented  then,  it  seems  to  me,  by  the  President 
of  the  Department.  This  debut  caused  me  great 
terror.  Accompanied  by  Bonie,  he  was  conducted 
before  the  assembled  members  of  the  Tribunal.  He 
was  questioned  as  to  his  opinions,  his  plans,  his 
actions,  the  causes  and  the  reasons  of  his  absence 
and  those  of  his  return.  He  at  once  perceived  that 
he  had  been  denounced  by  Monsieur  de  Roquesante 
and  declared  so  frankly,  while  stating  at  the  same 
time,  how  much,  on  the  other  hand,  he  had  to  praise 
in  the  attitude  of  the  Ambassador  at  Madrid.  After 
a  discussion  which  lasted  at  least  two  hours,  my 
husband  returned.  They  had  authorized  him  to 
continue  his  route  as  far  as  Bordeaux,  but  armed 
with  a  kind  of  official  itinerary  in  which  the  stops 
were  indicated  and  with  the  injunction  to  have  this 
paper  vised  at  each  place. 

Bonie  left  us  and  returned  to  Bordeaux  by  the 
mail-coach.  We  engaged  a  wretched  driver,  who 
conducted  us  by  short  journeys.   One  event   only 

[262] 


VISIT  TO  PARIS 

marked  our  trip.  At  Mont-de-Marsan  where  I  called 
a  perruquier  to  dress  my  hair,  he  proposed  to  me,  to 
my  great  surprise,  to  purchase  my  hair  for  200  francs. 
He  said  that  blond  wigs  were  so  much  the  fashion 
at  Paris  that  he  would  certainly  make  a  profit  of 
at  least  100  francs,  if  I  would  consent  to  sell  him  my 
hair.  I  refused  this  proposition,  you  may  well  believe, 
but  I  conceived  a  great  respect  for  my  hair,  which 
was,  modesty  apart,  very  handsome  and  very  fine 
at  that  time. 

At  Bordeaux  we  found  again  the  excellent  Brou- 
quens.  He  had  prospered  during  the  war  against 
Spain  and  was  now  engaged  in  providing  provisions 
for  our  armies  in  Italy.  He  received  us  with  the 
tender  friendship  which  had  never  for  a  moment 
changed.  But  I  was  impatient  to  be  at  home,  and  I 
made  arrangements  at  once  with  my  good  Doctor 
Dupouy  who  was  to  take  care  of  me.  Then,  the 
affair  of  raising  the  sequestration  terminated,  we 
went  to  Le  Bouilh  to  have  the  seals  removed. 

The  first  moment,  I  admit,  sorely  tried  my  phi- 
losophy. I  had  left  the  house  very  well  furnished, 
and  if  nothing  very  elegant  was  to  be  found  there, 
at  least  everything  was  convenient  and  in  sufficient 
quantity.  I  found  it  absolutely  vacant.  Not  a  chair 
to  sit  down  on,  not  a  table,  not  a  bed.  I  was  on  the 
point  of  giving  way  to  discouragement,  but  to  com- 
plain would  have  been  useless.  At  the  farm  we  set 
about  unpacking  our  boxes  which  had  long  since 
arrived  at  Bordeaux,  and  the  sight  of  these  simple 
little  pieces  of  furniture,  transported  to  this  vast 
chateau,  gave  rise  to  many  philosophical  reflections. 

[263] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

The  next  day  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Saint- 
Andre,  ashamed  of  having  purchased  our  furniture 
at  auction,  came  to  propose  to  us  to  re-sell  it  for  the 
price  which  it  had  cost  them.  Under  these  reasonable 
conditions,  we  again  came  into  possession  of  those 
articles  which  we  needed  most.  One  of  the  things 
which  had  the  most  value  was  the  equipment  of  our 
kitchen,  which  was  very  fine.  It  had  been  transported 
to  a  district  of  Bourg  with  the  intention  of  sending 
it  to  the  mint.  This  was  re-sold  to  us,  as  well  as  the 
library  which  had  also  been  deposited  in  the  district. 
We  passed  several  days  very  agreeably  in  placing 
the  books  on  the  shelves,  and  before  the  arrival  of 
Doctor  Dupouy  all  of  our  interior  arrangements 
had  been  finished,  and  we  were  as  well  installed  as 
if  we  had  been  at  Le  Bouilh  for  a  year. 

At  this  moment  I  experienced  a  great  pleasure; 
this  was  the  arrival  of  my  dear  maid  Marguerite. 
Mme.  de  Valence,  when  she  was  released  from  prison 
at  Paris,  had  engaged  her  to  take  care  of  her  two 
daughters,  but  as  soon  as  this  excellent  maid  heard 
of  my  return,  nothing  could  prevent  her  from  coming 
to  rejoin  me.  In  spite  of  the  aristocracy  of  her  white 
apron,  she  had  escaped  from  all  the  dangers  of  the 
Terror.  She  arrived  at  Le  Bouilh  in  time  to  be  present 
at  the  birth  of  my  dear  daughter  Charlotte,  who  was 
born  the  fourth  of  November,  1796.  I  gave  her  the 
name  of  Charlotte,  because  she  was  the  god-daughter 
of  Monsieur  de  Chambeau.  Nevertheless,  upon  the 
Registry  of  the  Commune,  she  was  inscribed  under 
the  name  of  Alix,  which  consequently  was  the  only 
name  she  was  able  to  use  legally. 

[264] 


VISIT  TO   PARIS 

When  I  was  up  again,  in  the  month  of  December, 
my  husband  started  to  make  a  circular  trip  to  Tesson, 
Ambleville  and  La  Roche-Chalais,  where  there  re- 
mained to  us  only  some  old  ruined  towers,  from  the 
20,000  francs  of  quit-rent  and  rents  which  this  land 
was  worth.  I  remained  alone  in  the  large  Chateau 
of  Le  Bouilh  with  Marguerite,  two  servants,  and  old 
Biquet  who  got  drunk  every  night.  The  peasants  in 
the  farm-yard  were  far  away.  Only  some  wretched 
planks  closed  the  part  of  the  ground  floor  which 
was  not  yet  finished.  This  was  the  time  when  troops 
of  brigands,  called  chmiffeurs,  spread  terror  in  all 
the  southern  part  of  France.  Every  day  new  horrors 
were  recounted  regarding  them.  I  admit  to  my  shame 
that  I  was  cold  with  terror.  It  seems  to  me  that  I 
never  in  my  life  passed  a  time  more  painful.  How 
much  I  regretted  my  farm,  my  good  negroes  and  my 
tranquillity  of  other  days! 

Our  affairs,  which  were  far  from  taking  a  favorable 
turn,  also  constantly  preoccupied  me.  My  husband 
had  been  advised  not  to  accept  the  inheritance  of 
his  father  except  sous  benefice  d'inventaire,  that  is  to 
say,  in  reserving  the  right  to  verif}^  the  charges  or 
costs.  Would  to  God  that  he  had  done  so!  But  the 
sad  manner  in  which  we  had  lost  my  father-in-law 
and  the  profound  respect  which  my  husband  had  for 
his  memory  deterred  him  from  adopting  this  course. 
This  inheritance  comprised  the  estate  of  Le  Bouilh, 
several  pieces  of  property  in  La  Roche-Chalais,  and 
our  rights  to  the  fortune  of  my  mother-in-law  which 
had  formed  a  part  of  our  marriage  contract.  I  will 
not  enter  into  the  details  of  our  ruin,  the  recollection 

[  26..;  1 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

of  which  escapes  me  now  and  which  besides  I  have 
never  clearly  understood.  I  only  know  that  at  the 
time  of  our  marriage,  my  father-in-law  was  supposed 
to  have  an  income  of  80,000  francs.  Without  going 
into  further  details,  it  may  be  said  that  our  loss  in  all 
amounted  to  nearly  60,000  francs  of  income.  To  this 
can  be  added  the  house  at  Saintes,  a  fine  dwelling 
in  a  perfect  state  of  repair,  and  which  could  have 
been  rented  for  3,000  francs.  The  authorities  of  the 
Department  had  occupied  it  and  when  at  the  end  of 
several  years  it  was  returned  to  us,  it  was  in  such  a 
state  of  dilapidation  that  it  had  lost  its  entire  value. 
We  also  lost  the  furniture  of  the  Chateau  of  Tesson 
which  Monsieur  de  Monconseil  had  left  to  my  father- 
in-law.  This  furniture  was  sold  at  the  same  time  as 
that  of  Le  Bouilh,  that  is  to  say  during  the  months 
which  elapsed  between  the  epoch  of  the  condemna- 
tion, followed  by  the  execution  of  my  father-in-law, 
and  the  date  of  the  decree  which  restored  the  property 
of  the  persons  condemned  to  their  children.  It  can  be 
said  that  it  was  during  this  period  of  several  months 
that  nearly  all  the  furniture  of  the  chateaux  of  France 
had  been  sold.  It  is  necessary,  however,  to  except 
the  libraries  which,  after  having  been  transported  to 
the  chief  places  of  the  district,  were  subsequently 
restored  to  their  owners.  These  sales  struck  the  most 
disastrous  blow  to  family  souvenirs,  and  It  Is  in- 
contestable that  the  sudden  dispersion  of  all  these 
souvenirs  of  the  paternal  roof  contributed  strongly 
to  the  demoralization  of  the  young  noblesse. 

We  remained  at  Le  Bouilh  the  whole  winter  and  a 
part  of  the  spring.  About  the  month  of  July,  1797, 

[266] 


VISIT  TO  PARIS 

my  husband  recognized  the  necessity  of  going  to 
Paris  to  terminate  his  arrangements  with  Monsieur 
de  Lameth.  As  if  inspired  by  presentiment,  I  re- 
quested to  accompany  him.  Mme.  de  Montesson, 
who  was  still  full  of  kindness  for  me,  arranged  w  ith 
Mme.  de  Valence  that  I  should  live  in  her  house  at 
Paris.  She  herself  was  established  for  the  summer  in 
the  country  in  a  house  which  she  had  just  purchased 
near  Saint-Denis.  The  six  weeks  which  we  expected 
to  pass  at  Paris  before  returning  to  Le  Bouilh  for  the 
harvest  of  the  grapes  did  not  require  any  great 
quantity  of  baggage.  We  therefore  transported  only 
what  was  strictly  necessary  for  us  and  our  children. 
A  large  number  of  emigres  had  returned  under 
borrowed  names.  Mme.  d'Henin,  who  had  come  back 
under  the  name  of  a  milliner  of  Geneva,  Mile. 
Vauthler,  was  situated  with  Mme.  de  Poix  at  Saint- 
Ouen.  Mme.  de  Stael,  protected  by  Barras,  the 
Director,  and  many  others  were  at  Paris. 

Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  summoned  us  to  come 
to  Paris  and  had  particularly  urged  my  husband  to 
come  there.  People  had  commenced  to  speak  of  a 
counter-Revolutlon,  In  which  everybody  believed. 
The  Government  had  been  formed,  and  two  As- 
semblies, the  Council  of  the  Five  Hundred  and  that 
of  the  Ancients,  comprised  many  Royalists.  The 
salon  of  Barras,  the  Influential  Director,  of  which 
the  Duchesse  de  Brancas  did  the  honors,  was  full  of 
them,  and  although  the  other  Directors  did  not  seem 
disposed  to  follow  the  example  of  their  colleague,  It  is 
certain  that  never  had  the  Bourbon  cause  had  so 
much  chance  of  success  as  at  this  epoch. 

[  267  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

We  set  out  in  a  sort  of  little  carriage,  my  husband, 
myself,  my  maid  Marguerite  and  our  two  children: 
Humbert,  seven  and  a  half  years  of  age  and  Charlotte 
who  was  only  eight  months  old. 

We  passed  several  days  at  Tesson,  where  we  found 
the  Chateau  in  a  terrible  state  of  dilapidation.  They 
had  not  only  carried  off  the  furniture  but  had  de- 
stroyed the  papers,  taken  away  the  locks  of  many  of 
the  doors,  the  blinds  of  several  windows,  the  irons 
of  the  kitchen  and  the  bars  of  the  furnaces.  It  was  a 
regular  devastation.  Fortunately  Gregoire  had  piled 
upon  his  bed  and  those  of  his  wife  and  daughter  as 
many  mattresses  as  he  had  been  able  to  save,  and 
these  served  as  beds  for  us  during  our  sojourn  at 
Tesson. 

My  emotion  was  vivid  in  finding  again  this  good 
family  of  Gregoire  who  had  concealed  my  husband 
with  so  much  care  and  devotion.  Before  this,  in 
passing  by  Mirambeau,  I  had  seen  the  locksmith, 
Potier,  and  his  wife,  with  whom  my  husband  had 
remained  three  months,  shut  up  in  a  hole  where 
there  was  not  enough  light  to  read  by.  How  I  again 
rendered  thanks  to  God  that  He  had  permitted  him 
to  escape  from  all  the  frightful  times  of  the  Terror ! 

We  finally  arrived  at  the  end  of  our  journey.  Mme. 
de  Valence  received  me  with  pleasure,  and  Mme.  de 
Montesson,  who  was  not  yet  in  the  country,  greeted 
me  with  a  thousand  acts  of  kindness.  At  Paris  any 
little  thing  out  of  the  ordinary  always  attracts  at- 
tention. Accordingly,  I  made  a  hit,  Immediately  on 
our  arrival.  As  my  husband  and  I  were  taking  supper 
in  the  room  of  Mme.  de  Valence,  Monsieur  de  Talley- 

[  268  ] 


VISIT  TO   PARIS 

rand  was  announced.  He  was  very  glad  to  see  us, 
and  at  the  end  of  a  moment  he  said: 

"Eh  bien!  Gouvernet,  qu'est-ce  que  vous  comptez 
faire?" 

"Mol?"  replied  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  with 
surprise,  "mais  je  viens  pour  arranger  mes  affaires." 

"Ah!"  said  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  "je  croyais 

•    •    • 

Then  he  changed  the  conversation  and  spoke  of 
indifferent  matters.  Several  moments  later,  addressing 
Mme.  de  Valence,  he  began  to  say  with  that  air  of 
nonchalance  which  it  is  necessary  to  have  seen  to 
understand : 

"A  propos,  vous  savez  que  Ic  ministere  est  change; 
Ics  nouveaux  ministres  sont  nommes." 

"Ah,"  said  she,  "ct  quels  sont-ils.^" 

Then  after  a  moment  of  hesitation,  as  If  he  had 
forgotten  the  names  and  was  trying  to  recall  them, 
he  said: 

"Ah!  oul,  void:  un  tel  a  la  guerre,  un  tel  Ti  la 
marine,  un  tel  aux  finances  ..." 

"Et  aux  affaires  etrangeres,"  said  L  .  .  . 

"Ah!  aux  affaires  etrangeres?  Eh!  mais  .  .  .  moi, 
sans  doute!" 

Then  taking  his  hat,  he  went  away. 

We  looked  at  each  other,  my  husband  and  myself, 
without  surprise,  for  nothing  could  be  surprising  in 
the  case  of  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  except  an  act 
on  his  part  of  bad  taste.  He  remained  eminently  the 
gra7id  seigneur^  while  serving  a  government  composed 
of  the  refuse  of  the  rabble.  The  next  day  found  him 
established  at  the  office  of  Foreign  Affairs  as  if  he 

[269] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

had  occupied  this  post  for  the  past  ten  years.  The 
intervention  of  Mme.  de  Stael,  all  powerful  at  this 
moment  with  Benjamin  Constant,  had  made  him 
Minister.  He  had  gone  to  her  house  and  throwing 
upon  the  table  his  purse  which  contained  only  a  few 
louis  had  said:  "Voila  le  reste  de  ma  fortune!  Demain 
ministre  ou  je  me  brule  la  cervelle!"  None  of  these 
words  were  true,  but  it  was  dramatic,  and  Mme.  de 
Stael  loved  that.  Besides,  the  nomination  was  not 
difficult  to  arrange.  The  Directors,  and  above  all, 
Barras,  were  very  much  honored  to  have  such  a 
Minister. 

I  will  not  relate  here  the  history  of  the  i8  Fructidor. 
You  can  read  it  in  all  the  memoirs  of  the  time.  The 
Royalists  had  a  great  deal  of  hope  and  the  different 
intrigues  were  mixed  up  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
Many  of  the  emigres  had  returned.  They  wore  the 
rallying  signs,  all  of  which  were  perfectly  known  to 
the  police :  the  collar  of  the  coat  of  black  velvet,  a 
knot,  in  I  know  not  what  form,  in  the  corner  of  the 
handkerchief  and  so  on.  It  was  by  absurdities  of  this 
kind  that  they  thought  to  save  France.  Mme.  de 
Montesson  returned  from  the  country  expressly  to 
give  a  dinner  to  the  Deputies  who  were  well  disposed. 
Monsieur  de  Brouquens,  our  excellent  friend,  was 
also  one  of  the  hosts  of  these  dinners  where  they 
talked  with  an  unbelievable  imprudence.  We  met 
again  every  day,  my  husband  and  I,  some  people  of 
our  acquaintance,  and  the  originality  of  the  life 
which  I  had  led  in  America  and  the  desire  which  I 
evinced  of  returning  there  rendered  me  for  a  month 
very  much  in  vogue. 

[270] 


VISIT  TO   PARIS 

Mme.  d'Henin,  our  aunt,  had  returned  as  1  have 
already  said  under  a  borrowed  name  with  a  Geneva 
passport.  She  was  Hving  with  Mme.  de  Poix,  who 
herself  was  installed  for  the  duration  of  the  summer 
in  a  house  which  she  had  borrowed  at  Saint-Ouen. 
We  went  there  to  pass  several  days  to  the  great 
pleasure  of  Humbert  who  was  very  much  bored  at 
Paris  where  he  was  not  able  to  go  out. 

I  also  saw  Mme.  de  Stael  nearly  every  day.  In 
spite  of  her  liaison  more  than  intimate  with  Benjamin 
Constant,  she  was  working  for  the  Royalist  Party. 

You  may  well  believe  that  my  first  care  on  arriving 
at  Paris  was  to  go  to  see  Mme.  Tallien  to  whom  we 
owed  our  life.  I  found  her  established  in  a  little 
house  called  "La  Chaumiere"  at  the  end  of  the 
Cours  la  Reine.  She  received  me  with  much  affection 
and  wished  immediately  to  explain  how  it  happened 
that  she  had  found  herself  under  the  necessity  of 
marrying  Tallien,  by  whom  she  had  a  child.  Her 
family  life  with  this  new  husband  already  seemed  in- 
supportable. Nothing  could  equal,  it  seemed,  his  dis- 
trustful and  suspicious  character.  She  related  to  me 
that  one  night,  when  she  returned  at  one  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  he  had  such  an  attack  of  jealousy 
that  he  had  been  upon  the  point  of  killing  her. 
Seeing  him  armed  with  a  pistol,  she  had  taken  flight 
and  had  gone  to  demand  asylum  and  protection  from 
Monsieur  Martell,  whose  life  she  had  saved  at 
Bordeaux,  but  he  had  refused  to  receive  her.  She 
wept  bitterly  in  recounting  to  me  this  act  of  in- 
gratitude. Therefore  my  gratitude  which  I  expressed 

[271  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

with  warmth,  as  indeed  I  felt  it,  seemed  very  sweet 
to  her.  Tallien  came  for  a  moment  to  his  wife's 
room.  I  thanked  him  quite  coldly,  and  he  told  me  to 
count  on  him  under  all  circumstances.  You  will  see 
later  on  in  what  way  and  in  what  manner  he  kept 
his  word. 


[272] 


CHAPTER  SEVEN 

1797-1798 

EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

The  i8  Fructidor. —  A  Promenade  in  Paris. —  Mme.  de  Stael 
and  Benjamin  Constant. —  Expulsion  of  the  Returned 
Emigres. —  Situation  of  Monsieur  and  Mme.  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin. —  Conduct  of  Talleyrand  and  Tallien. —  New 
Exile. —  A  Friend  from  America. —  Cordial  Reception  by 
Lady  Jerningham. —  Visit  of  Mme.  Dillon. —  Mme.  de 
Rothe  and  the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne. —  Lord  Dillon. — 
His  Apostasy  and  Marriage  with  an  Actress. —  Lord  Ken- 
mare  and  His  Daughter. —  Dominating  Character  of  Mme. 
d'Henin. —  Society  of  the  Emigres.—  Departure  for  Cossey. 
—  The  Races  at  Newmarket. —  Kindness  of  Lady  Jerning- 
ham. —  Life  at  Cossey. —  The  Family  Table. —  Residence 
at  Richmond  with  Mme.  d'Henin. —  An  Inheritance  Dif- 
ficult to  Realize. —  Money  Troubles  of  Mme.  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin. 

MY  husband  was  busy  with  his  affairs  and 
had  undertaken  negotiations  to  repurchase 
a  part  of  the  estate  of  Hautefontaine 
which  had  been  sold,  when  one  morning  at  daybreak, 
the  1 8  Fructidor,  the  fourth  of  September,  1797,  I 
thought  I  heard  upon  the  boulevard  a  noise  of 
artillery  carriages.  As  my  room  looked  out  on  the 
court,  I  told  Marguerite  to  go  to  the  window  of  the 
salle  a  manger  to  see  what  was  going  on.  On  her 
return  she  told  me  that  the  boulevard  was  filled  with 
a  number  of  generals,  with  troops  and  cannon.  I 
arose  as  soon  as  possible  and  sent  to  awaken  my 

[  273  ]  . 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

husband  who  was  sleeping  in  the  room  above  mine. 
We  both  went  to  the  window,  where  a  short 
time  later  we  were  joined  by  Mme.  de  Valence. 
Augereau  was  there  giving  orders.  The  Rue  des 
Capucines  and  the  Rue  Neuve-du-Luxembourg  were 
barricaded. 

Towards  mid-day,  as  nobody  had  brought  us  any 
news,  Mme.  de  Valence  and  I,  inspired  by  curiosity, 
went  out,  quietly  dressed  in  order  not  to  be  remarked, 
with  the  intention  of  going  to  see  Mme.  de  Stael. 
As  the  streets  above  mentioned  were  barricaded  by 
pieces  of  cannon,  and  the  Rue  de  la  Paix  was  not 
in  existence  at  that  period,  we  were  obliged  to  ascend 
as  far  as  the  Rue  de  Richelieu  to  find  a  free  passage. 
All  the  shops  were  closed.  There  were  a  good  many 
people  out  but  no  one  was  talking.  Finally  we  arrived 
at  the  residence  of  Mme.  de  Stael.  She  was  with 
Benjamin  Constant  and  very  much  incensed  with 
him  because  he  maintained  that  the  Directory  in 
arresting  the  Deputies  had  only  performed  an 
indispensable  coup  d'etat. 

From  M.  Constant  we  learned  that  all  of  the 
emigres  who  had  returned  had  received  an  order  once 
more  to  leave  France  under  pain  of  being  judged 
by  military  commissions.  This  news  filled  me  with 
consternation,  and  I  hastened  to  return  home  to 
inform  my  husband.  On  arriving  I  found  my  husband 
very  much  perplexed  as  to  the  means  of  notifying 
my  aunt  of  these  events.  She  was  living  at  Saint- 
Ouen  and  the  gates  of  Paris  were  closed.  No  one 
was  able  to  pass  the  barriers  without  a  special 
permission. 

[274] 


EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

By  a  singular  piece  of  good  luitunc,  I  met  Mme. 
de  Pontecoulant,  whom  I  knew,  as  I  had  often  seen 
her  with  Mme.  de  Valence.  I  will  tell  later  on  who 
she  was.  As  she  had  a  permit  of  the  Section  for 
herself  and  her  maid,  she  was  able  to  go  to  Saint- 
Denis,  where  her  country  house  was  located.  I 
begged  her  to  let  me  take  the  place  of  the  maid  and 
with  her  usual  kindness  she  consented. 

You  can  easily  imagine  with  what  exclamations  I 
was  received  by  Mme.  de  Poix  and  my  aunt.  The 
latter  decided  to  leave  at  once  for  England.  With 
these  ladies  were  several  former  emigres,  who  were  in 
despair  over  the  necessity  of  once  more  leaving 
France. 

By  the  terms  of  the  decree,  all  the  emigres  who 
had  returned  upon  French  territory  were  ordered  to 
leave  Paris  within  twenty-four  hours  and  France 
within  a  week.  My  idea  was  to  return  at  once  to 
Le  Bouilh.  Having  left  France  with  a  proper  pass- 
port and  having  returned  with  this  same  passport 
duly  vised  by  the  French  authorities  in  the  United 
States  and  in  Spain,  I  thought  that  the  decree  could 
not  apply  to  us  as  we  had  not  returned  secretly.  To 
assure  himself  on  this  point  my  husband  went  to 
find  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand.  The  latter,  very  much 
occupied  with  his  own  future,  was  not  giving  much 
thought  to  that  of  others.  He  at  once  replied  without 
hesitation  that  it  was  not  his  affair  and  told  us  to 
submit  the  case  to  Sottin,  the  Minister  of  Police. 

I  accordingly  went  to  see  Tallien  who  received  me 
very  cordially.  He  promised  to  go  at  once  to  see 
Sottin,  to  have  him    annotate   the    paper   without 

[^75  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

which  we  could  not  have  vised  the  passport  of  the 
municipahty  of  Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac,  with  which 
we  had  come  to  Paris  and  which  we  must  have  in 
our  possession  in  order  to  pass  the  barriers. 

I  came  home  quite  disturbed  and  commenced  to 
pack  my  trunks.  A  police  decree  had  just  been 
posted  ordering  all  proprietors  to  send  in  a  report  as 
to  the  persons  living  in  their  houses  who  were  at 
Paris  without  papers  in  regular  order.  We  were  un- 
willing to  cause  any  trouble  to  Mme.  de  Montesson 
with  whom  we  were  lodging. 

Finally  after  a  trying  delay  of  several  hours  Tallien 
sent  me  back  the  request  which  he  had  submitted  to 
the  inspection  of  Sottln.  The  Minister  had  added  with 
his  own  hand  and  signed  the  following  annotation: 
"This  private  individual  is  within  the  law."  Tallien, 
in  the  note  which  he  wrote  me  at  the  same  time  in  the 
third  person  excused  himself  politely  for  not  having 
been  able  to  obtain  anything,  but  the  end  of  his 
note  could  be  translated  by  the  words:  "I  wish  you 
a  bon  voyage." 

There  were  two  alternatives  from  which  to  choose. 
We  could  ask  for  a  passport  for  Spain  and  proceed 
to  Le  Bouilh,  where  I  could  remain  some  time  while 
my  husband  went  to  Salnt-Sebastien.  This  would 
have  been  the  wisest  course.  We  could  also  go  to 
England  and  from  there,  according  to  circumstances, 
return  to  America.  My  aunt,  Mme.  d'Henin,  had 
much  influence  with  my  husband  and  she  induced 
him  to  adopt  the  latter  course.  We  had  very  little 
money,  but  were  assured  of  finding  at  London  my 

[276] 


EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

step-mother,  iMme.  Dillon,  and  many  other  very 
close  relations,  who  without  doubt  would  be  disposed 
to  come  to  our  aid.  We  therefore  decided  to  leave 
for  England. 

Having  come  to  Paris  with  the  intention  of  re- 
maining only  five  or  six  weeks,  we  had  brought  with 
us  only  the  most  necessary  baggage.  I  had  in  addi- 
tion several  dresses  which  I  had  had  made  at  Paris. 
Two  very  small  trunks  contained  all  of  our  baggage, 
including  that  of  my  maid,  Marguerite,  who  had 
decided  this  time  not  to  leave  us.  This  departure 
was  destined  to  have  the  most  unfortunate  conse- 
quences for  us.  We  were  in  negotiations  with  the  new 
owners  of  Hautefontaine  to  repurchase  the  property, 
but  this  new  emigration  put  an  end  to  all  of  our 
arrangements. 

The  two  or  three  days  which  preceded  our  de- 
parture were  passed  in  a  state  of  sadness  and  dis- 
quietude. Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  for  us 
to  have  returned  to  Le  Bouilh.  The  report  was 
current  that  Barras,  who  had  yielded  for  the  moment 
to  the  demands  of  his  colleagues,  would  soon  regain 
his  authority  and  at  the  same  time  resume  his 
favorable  disposition  regarding  the  emigres. 

Everywhere  you  met  people  who  were  in  despair 
over  this  new  emigration.  We  reserved  three  places 
in  a  carriage  which  was  to  take  us  in  three  days  to 
Calais.  Two  other  places  were  occupied  by  Monsieur 
de  Beauvau  and  by  a  cousin  of  Mme.  de  Valence, 
the  young  Cesar  Ducrest,  an  amiable  young  man  who 
was  destined  to  perish  so  miserably  several  years  later. 

The  French  are  naturally  light-hearted.  So  in  spite 

C  ''-11 '\ 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

of  the  fact  that  we  were  all  in  despair,  ruined,  furious, 
we  found,  nevertheless,  the  means  of  being  in  good 
humor  and  of  laughing.  Monsieur  de  Beauvau,  our 
cousin,  was  going  to  rejoin  his  wife,  who  had  been  a 
Mile,  de  Mortemart,  and  his  three  or  four  children. 
She  was  living  in  a  country  house  at  Staines,  near 
Windsor,  with  her  grandfather,  the  Due  d'Harcourt, 
formerly  Governor  of  the  first  Dauphin  who  died  at 
Meudon  in  1789.  Mme.  de  Beauvau  was  the  youngest 
of  the  three  grand-daughters  of  the  Due  d'Harcourt. 
Their  mother  had  married  the  Due  de  Mortemart 
and  had  died  long  before  the  Revolution.  Monsieur 
de  Mortemart  had  then  married  a  Mile,  de  Brissac, 
the  mother  of  the  present  Due. 

We  appeared  before  all  the  municipalities  In  the 
localities  situated  on  the  route,  including  those  of 
Calais,  where  we  embarked  on  the  packet  one  evening 
at  eleven  o'clock. 

I  was  seated  upon  the  deck  holding  my  daughter 
in  my  arms  while  Marguerite  was  occupied  In  putting 
my  son  to  bed,  and  my  husband  was  suffering  as 
usual  from  sea-sickness,  although  there  was  little 
wind  and  the  night  was  superb.  Beside  me  was  a 
gentleman  who,  seeing  me  embarrassed  with  my 
child,  proposed  to  me,  with  an  English  accent,  that 
I  should  lean  against  him.  As  I  turned  to  thank  him, 
he  saw  my  face  In  the  moonlight  and  cried:  "Bon 
DIeu,  est-ce  possible!"  It  was  young  Jeffreys,  son  of 
the  editor  of  the  "Edinburgh  Review."  I  had  seen 
him  every  day  at  Boston  at  his  uncle's  at  the  time 
of  our  sojourn  In  that  hospitable  city  three  years 
before.  We  talked  much  of  America  and  of  the  regret 

[278] 


EXILE  IN   ENGLAND 

which  I  had  felt  in  leaving  it.  1  gave  him  to  under- 
stand that  in  spite  of  the  presence  of  all  my  family 
in  England,  I  was  going  there  inspired  only  by  the 
desire  and  the  plan  of  returning  to  my  farm,  if  all 
hope  of  a  return  to  France  vanished  or  at  least 
became  indefinite. 

The  night  passed  in  talking  of  England  with  my 
companion,  and  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  revealed  to 
us  the  white  cliffs  of  England  to  which  a  strong 
southeast  wind  had  brought  us  near.  We  landed  to 
find  ourselves  handed  over  to  the  brutality  of  the 
English  Customs  officers  who  seemed  to  me  worse 
even  than  those  of  Spain.  At  the  sight  of  my  passport 
which  I  presented  at  the  alien  office,  I  was  asked  if 
I  was  a  subject  of  the  King  of  England,  and  upon  my 
aflfirmative  reply,  they  told  me  that  I  should  give 
as  reference  some  person  who  was  known  in  England. 
Having  named  without  hesitation  my  three  uncles, 
Lord  Dillon,  Lord  Kenmare  and  Sir  William  Jerning- 
ham,  the  tone  and  manner  of  these  employes  changed 
very  quickly.  These  details  took  up  the  morning. 
After  an  English  luncheon,  or  rather  dinner,  we  left 
Dover  for  London.  We  spent  the  night  at  Canter- 
bury, or  at  Rochester,  my  recollections  are  not  very 
precise  as  to  the  locality,  and  the  following  morning 
we  arrived  at  London  and  went  to  one  of  the  inns 
in  Piccadilly.  As  I  had  written  my  aunt.  Lady  Jerning- 
ham,  from  Dover  to  announce  our  arrival,  she  had 
sent  her  son  Edward  to  bring  us  to  her  house  in 
Bolton  Row.  Her  reception  was  entirely  maternal. 
She  Immediately  Informed  us  of  her  departure  for 
her  country  place  at  Cossey,  where  she  said  she  ex- 

[279] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

pected  to  stay  at  least  six  months.  She  invited  us  to 
come  and  pass  this  time  with  her.  My  good  aunt 
was  particularly  amiable  towards  my  husband,  and, 
being  very  fond  of  children,  she  conceived  at  once 
a  great  affection  for  Humbert. 

We  therefore  took  up  our  residence  in  Bolton  Row 
like  children  of  the  family.  Here  I  found  again  my 
excellent  old  friend,  the  Chevalier  Jerningham, 
brother  of  Sir  William,  the  husband  of  my  aunt. 
The  faithful  friendship  which  he  had  shown  me  since 
my  childhood  was  as  sweet  as  it  was  useful  during 
my  sojourn  in  England. 

I  was  arranging  to  go  to  see  my  step-mother,  Mme. 
Dillon,  who  had  been  living  in  England  for  two  years, 
when  she  came  to  see  my  aunt. 

My  arrival  in  London  was  an  event  in  the  family. 
Here  I  met  again  Betsy  de  La  Touche,  the  daughter 
of  my  step-mother.  She  had  been  confided  to  my 
care  in  1789  and  1790  when  she  was  at  the  Convent 
of  the  Assumption  where  I  often  went  to  see  her  and 
whence  I  alone  had  permission  to  take  her  out  from 
time  to  time.  She  had  married  Edward  de  Fitz- 
James.  She  was  a  sweet  and  amiable  young  woman, 
worthy  of  all  good  fortune.  She  was  passionately 
fond  of  her  husband,  who  did  not  return  her  affection, 
and  his  cruel  and  public  infidelities  had  broken  her 
heart. 

Alexandre  de  La  Touche,  her  brother,  was  three 
years  younger  than  herself.  He  was  a  handsome 
young  man,  light  headed,  gay,  but  with  little  mind 
and  still  less  education.  He  had  all  the  whims  of  the 
young  emigres  who  had  nothing  to  do,  was  destitute 

[280] 


EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

of  any  talent,  loved  horses,  society  and  small  in- 
trigues, but  never  opened  a  book.  My  step-mother, 
who  as  long  as  I  knew  her  never  had  a  book  on  the 
table,  could  not  have  given  him  any  taste  for  reading. 
She  herself  was  not  lacking  in  natural  intelligence 
and  had  good  manners  and  was  well  bred.  Neverthe- 
less, I  have  often  asked  myself  why  my  father,  who 
was  endowed  with  a  superior  mind  and  was  a  man 
of  fine  education,  had  married  a  woman  older  than 
himself.  It  is  true  that  she  was  rich,  but,  nevertheless, 
she  could  not  pass  for  being  what  was  called  an 
heiress.  Although  he  desired  a  son  above  all  things, 
they  had  only  three  daughters.  Two  died  as  small 
children  and  only  the  eldest,  Fanny,  survived. 

My  -uncle  the  Archbishop  and  my  grandmother 
were  living  in  London.  I  had  not  seen  them  since  my 
departure  from  their  house  in  1788,  nine  years 
before.  My  aunt,  Lady  Jerningham,  thought  that  I 
would  do  well  to  pay  them  my  respects,  and  the  good 
Chevalier,  her  brother-in-law,  undertook  to  ask  them 
if  they  would  consent  to  receive  me.  My  grandmother, 
seeing  that  the  Archbishop  desired  it,  dared  not  offer 
any  opposition.  At  the  same  time  she  made  a  condi- 
tion that  my  husband  should  not  accompany  me.  I 
could  have  made  this  condition  a  pretext  for  not 
going  to  see  them  but  I  feigned  ignorance.  My  hus- 
band besides  was  very  happy  to  be  relieved  of  this 
visit,  for  even  at  this  time,  he  confessed  to  me  later, 
he  knew  that  my  grandmother  had  spoken  very  un- 
kindly of  me  since  she  had  been  in  London.  If  I  had 
known  this  at  the  time,  I  should  certainly  have  re- 
frained from  going  to  see  her. 

[2Sl] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

One  morning,  therefore,  I  turned  my  steps  towards 
Thayer  Street  with  my  httle  Humbert.  It  was  not 
without  an  emotion  mingled  with  many  different 
feehngs,  that  I  knocked  at  the  door  of  this  modest 
mansion  inhabited  by  my  uncle  and  my  grandmother. 
This  house  seemed  to  me  to  take  the  place,  without 
transition,  of  the  fine  hotel  of  the  Faubourg  Saint- 
Germain,  where  I  had  passed  my  childhood  sur- 
rounded by  the  luxury  and  the  splendor  which  can 
be  obtained  in  life  with  an  income  of  400,000  francs, 
which  the  Archbishop  of  Narbonne  enjoyed  at  that 
time. 

An  old  domestic  opened  the  door  for  me.  On  seeing 
me  he  burst  into  tears.  He  was  one  of  the  servants 
of  Hautefontaine,  where  he  had  been  present  at  my 
marriage.  He  preceded  me  and  I  heard  him  announce 
me  in  a  voice  full  of  emotion,  saying:  "Here  is  Mme. 
de  Gouvernet."  My  grandmother  arose  and  came  to 
meet  me.  I  kissed  her  hand.  Her  reception  was  very 
cold  and  she  called  me  "Madame."  At  the  same 
moment  the  Archbishop  entered  and  throwing  his 
arms  around  my  neck  he  kissed  me  tenderly,  and 
then  seeing  my  son,  he  embraced  him  several  times. 
He  addressed  several  questions  in  English  and  in 
French  to  the  boy,  who  replied  with  an  intelligence 
which  charmed  my  uncle. 

My  uncle  invited  me  to  come  to  dinner  the  follow- 
ing day,  with  six  old  Bishops  from  Languedoc  whom 
he  had  taken  en  pension  at  his  table.  They  were  all 
former  acquaintances  of  mine.  As  for  my  husband 
he  was  not  mentioned.  I  announced  my  plan  to  go 
and  visit  my  aunt  at  Cossey  during  the  period  of  her 

[282] 


EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

sojourn  there.  1  he  Archhishoj)  expressed  his  satis- 
faction but  my  grandmother  was  certainly  much  put 
out. 

Lady  Jerningham,  who  had  been  very  anxious  as 
to  the  result  of  my  visit,  was  happy  that  ever>'thing 
had  gone  so  well.  The  following  day  my  aunt  took 
me  to  see  two  other  uncles.  One  was  Lord  Dillon, 
elder  brother  of  my  father.  He  lived  in  a  handsome 
mansion  in  Portman  Square,  with  his  second  wife, 
two  of  her  daughters,  and  a  young  son  eight  or  nine 
years  of  age,  who  was  a  beautiful  boy.  Lady  Dillon 
had  been  a  Mile.  Rogier  of  Belgian  origin.  She  had  all 
the  appearance  of  what  she  was  in  reality,  a  former 
actress.  She  had  been  the  mistress  of  my  uncle  before 
his  marriage  to  Miss  Phipps,  daughter  of  Lord  Mul- 
grave.  From  this  liaison  had  been  born  a  son  who, 
according  to  the  custom  allowed  in  England  among 
the  Protestants,  had  been  authorized  to  bear  the 
name  of  his  father.  As  I  have  already  stated  at  the 
commencement  of  these  Recollections,  Lord  Dillon, 
at  the  time  that  he  bore  only  the  title  of  the  Honor- 
able Charles  Dillon,  was  a  gambler  and  a  spend- 
thrift and  was  loaded  with  debt.  He  abjured  the 
religion  of  his  fathers  to  become  a  Protestant  at  the 
instigation  of  his  grand-uncle,  Robert  Lee,  fourth 
and  last  Earl  of  Lichfield,  who  had  demanded  this 
as  the  price  of  his  inheritance,  an  income  of  15,000 
pounds  sterling  and  the  beautiful  castle  of  Ditchley. 
Assured  of  this  handsome  fortune  and  wishing  to 
have  an  heir,  he  married  a  Protestant,  Miss  Phipps, 
and  made  her  so  unhappy  that  she  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five   years,   leaving  him    a    son,   Henry 

[283] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Augustus,  who  later  became  Viscount  Dillon,  and  a 
daughter  who  married  Sir  Thomas  Webb. 

My  uncle  then  lived  openly  with  Mile.  Rogier,  by 
whom  he  had  had  two  daughters  during  the  life  of 
his  wife.  After  his  wife's  death  he  publicly  married 
her.  His  sister,  Lady  Jerningham,  was  extremely  dis- 
satisfied, and  to  appease  her,  he  confided  to  her  his 
legitimate  son  to  bring  up,  and  only  kept  with  him 
the  two  bastards.  These  used  his  name,  with  this 
diflPerence,  that  they  did  not  put  upon  their  visiting 
cards  "Honorable  Miss  Dillon,"  but  "Miss  Dillon" 
only.  They  were  both  charming  girls,  pretty  and  well 
brought  up.  One  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  and  the 
other  married  Lord  Frederick  Beauclerk,  brother  of 
the  Duke  of  Saint-Albans. 

As  my  aunt  was  not  particularly  anxious  to  see 
Lady  Dillon,  I  went  to  her  house  with  her  daughter, 
Lady  Bedingfeld,  my  cousin,  who  was  at  that  time 
in  London  for  several  days.  Lord  Dillon  received  us 
very  politely,  but  as  a  man  of  the  world,  without 
showing  the  least  interest.  He  offered  us  his  box  for 
the  Opera  for  the  same  evening,  and  we  accepted. 
This  was  the  only  benefit  that  I  received  from  him. 
He  gave  a  pension  of  i,ooo  pounds  sterling  to  his 
uncle  the  Archbishop,  who  was  eighty  years  of  age. 
As  far  as  I  was  concerned,  although  I  was  the  daughter 
of  his  brother,  he  never  came  to  my  aid  during  the 
two  years  and  a  half  I  passed  in  England. 

The  second  uncle  whom  I  visited,  this  time  with 
Lady  Jerningham,  was  Lord  Kenmare  who  had 
formerly  borne  the  name  of  Valentine  Browne.  He 
received  me  in  a  very  different  manner,  although  I 

[284] 


EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

was  his  niece  only  by  his  first  wife,  a  sister  of  my 
father,  who  had  been  dead  for  many  years.  He  was 
then  remarried.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  a  daughter, 
Lady  Charlotte  Browne,  who  was  accordingly  my 
cousin.  She  later  became  by  marriage  Lady  Charlotte 
Goold. 

Lord  Kenmare,  his  daughter  and  all  his  family 
received  me  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  goodness, 
and  the  friendship  of  Lady  Charlotte  in  particular 
has  never  become  cold.  She  was  then  eighteen  years 
of  age  and  had  many  aspirants  for  her  hand  as  she 
had  a  fortune  of  20,000  pounds  sterling. 

I  went  to  see  my  aunt  Mme.  d'Henin  at  Richmond. 
She  was  much  displeased  over  our  plan  of  passing 
some  time  at  Cossey  with  Lady  Jerningham.  Mme. 
d'Henin  was  exceedingly  domineering,  even  to  the 
point  of  tyranny,  and  everything  which  brought  the 
slightest  umbrage  to  her  empire  put  her  out  to  a 
most  unreasonable  degree.  Her  authority  was  exer- 
cised principally  upon  Monsieur  de  Lally,  although 
it  must  be  admitted  that  she  was  very  useful  to  him 
through  the  firmness  and  decision  of  her  character. 
But  she  did  not  suffer  any  rival  and  Monsieur  de 
Lally  had  committed  the  imprudence,  during  the 
two  or  three  months  that  Mme.  d'Henin  had  passed 
in  France,  of  going  to  Cossey  where  he  had  enjoyed 
himself  like  a  school-boy  on  his  vacation.  Mme. 
d'Henin  had  accordingly  conceived  a  great  aversion 
for  Lady  Jerningham.  Accordingly  on  learning  that 
her  nephew,  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  and  I  had 
formed   the   project  of  passing  six   months   in   the 

[285] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

country  with  Lady  Jerningham,  she  had  a  feeUng  of 
vexation  which  she  did  not  try  to  dissimulate.  In 
spite  of  her  character,  Mme.  d'Henin  nevertheless 
did  not  lack  a  spirit  of  justice.  She  was  forced  to 
admit  that,  having  arrived  in  England  without  re- 
sources, it  was  very  natural  for  us  to  accept  with 
pleasure  an  invitation  from  a  relative  so  near  and  so 
highly  considered  in  the  world  as  my  aunt  Jerning- 
ham. Mme.  d'Henin  and  Monsieur  de  Lally  had  an 
establishment  in  common.  The  age  of  the  two  should 
have  prevented  the  public  from  finding  any  scandal- 
ous motive  in  this  association.  Nevertheless,  people 
turned  the  matter  into  ridicule.  Mme.  d'Henin  in  spite 
of  her  real  and  great  qualities  was  not  generally  liked. 

After  a  residence  of  three  days  at  London,  I 
realized  that  I  would  not  have  any  pleasure  in  stay- 
ing there  longer.  The  society  of  the  emigres,  their 
gossip,  their  little  intrigues  and  slander  had  rendered 
my  sojourn  disagreeable. 

Finally  to  my  great  joy  the  time  came  for  our  de- 
parture for  Cossey.  Lady  Jerningham  had  preceded 
us  to  the  country.  It  was  therefore  arranged  that  I 
should  stay  with  my  step-mother,  Mme.  Dillon,  for 
several  days.  There  I  learned  with  great  satisfaction 
that  Edward  de  Fitz-James  had  some  saddle-horses. 
As  I  had  the  reputation  of  being  an  excellent  horse- 
woman, he  procured  for  me  a  side-saddle.  My  step- 
mother gave  me  a  fine  equestrian  habit. and  every 
day  we  took  long  rides. 

We  set  out  from  London  like  a  caravan:  my  step- 
mother, myself,  my  daughter,  my  son,  my  maid 
Marguerite  and  Flora,  the  colored  maid  of  Mme. 

[286] 


EXILE  IN  ENGLAND 

Dillon,  in  one  berline;  Mme.  de  Fitz-James,  Alexandre 
de  La  Touche  and  my  husband  in  another.  Then 
followed  the  aged  governess  of  Betsy  and  finally 
Monsieur  de  Fitz-James,  his  horses,  grooms  and  so  on. 

We  stopped  for  the  night  at  Newmarket  where 
are  held  the  famous  horse-races,  which  I  was  very 
curious  to  see.  We  remained  here  ail  the  next  day. 
It  was  the  last  day  of  the  races  and  the  one  on  which 
was  run  the  Royal  Cup.  We  passed  the  whole  day 
upon  the  turf  and  by  a  good  chance,  quite  rare  in 
England,  the  weather  was  very  fine.  I  have  guarded 
the  memor}^  of  this  day  as  one  of  those  in  my  life 
when  I  was  the  most  amused  and  interested.  The 
following  day  we  set  out  to  arrive  for  the  night  at 
Cossey.  It  was,  I  think,  during  the  first  days  of 
October,  1797. 

My  aunt,  who  was  very  fond  of  children,  took 
possession  of  Humbert.  Every  morning  after  break- 
fast she  took  him  to  her  room  and  kept  him  all  the 
morning,  occupied  in  giving  him  lessons  and  making 
him  read  and  write  in  English  and  in  French.  His 
toilette  also  was  the  object  of  her  care.  She  furnished 
him  with  suits,  overcoats,  linen  and  a  complete 
child's  wardrobe.  She  was  also  extremely  kind  to  me. 
Having  observed  that  I  was  able  to  make  my  dresses 
myself,  under  the  pretext  of  inspiring  in  Fanny 
Dillon  a  love  of  work,  she  brought  to  my  room  and 
placed  at  my  disposal  pieces  of  muslin  and  material 
of  every  kind,  an  attention  which  was  all  the  more 
agreeable  as  I  had  arrived  from  France  very  lightly 
dressed  for  the  climate  of  England. 

My  aunt  had  learned  that  my  children  had  not 

[287] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

been  inoculated  (vaccination  having  then  only  re- 
cently been  discovered)  and  she  took  charge  of  supply- 
ing this  omission  and  had  her  own  surgeon  come  from 
Norwich  to  perform  the  operation.  In  fine,  she  sur- 
rounded us  with  care  of  every  kind,  and  the  time 
which  I  passed  at  Cossey  was  as  agreeable  as  we 
could  have  possibly  wished. 

Sir  William  possessed  an  income  estimated  at 
18,000  pounds  sterling,  which  does  not  constitute  a 
large  fortune  in  England,  but  was  sufficient  to  enable 
him  to  live  handsomely.  His  house  was  old  but 
convenient.  The  chapel  in  which  the  chaplain  of- 
ficiated was  installed  in  the  garret,  following  the 
usage  of  the  Catholics  prior  to  the  Emancipation. 

The  winter  passed  very  agreeably.  Towards  the 
month  of  March,  Mme.  Dillon,  my  sister  Fanny,  and 
Monsieur  and  Mme.  de  Fitz-James  returned  to 
London.  But  we  remained  at  Cossey  until  the  month 
of  May.  As  my  aunt  was  to  pass  the  summer  at 
London,  Sir  William  proposed  to  us  to  take  possession, 
during  the  period  of  his  absence,  of  a  pretty  cottage 
which  he  had  built  in  the  park.  I  preferred,  however, 
not  to  remain  there  alone,  and  furthermore  Mme. 
d'Henin  was  very  much  enraged  at  the  idea  of  the 
prolongation  of  our  sojourn  in  the  country  and  in- 
sisted on  having  us  with  her  at  Richmond  where  she 
could  give  us  lodging.  We  therefore  agreed  to  go 
there  and  rejoin  her,  although  it  was  much  against 
my  desire;  but  my  husband  did  not  wish  to  disoblige 
his  aunt  and  besides  this,  we  had  some  business  in 
London  about  which  I  am  going  to  speak. 

[288] 


175?    -    1838 


EXILE   IN   ENGLAND 

As  I  have  not  re-read  the  hrst  part  of  these  Recollec- 
tions, I  am  not  certain  that  1  stated  that  at  the  time 
of  my  arrival  at  Boston  I  had  written  my  excellent 
instructor,  Monsieur  Combes,  who  was  then  living 
with  my  step-mother  at  Martinique.  My  father  had 
given  him  a  good  position,  that  of  Recorder  of  the 
Island.  He  had  exercised  this  function  at  Saint- 
Christophe  and  Tabago  and,  living  in  the  house,  he 
had  been  able  to  accumulate  his  salary  until  it 
amounted  to  the  sum  of  60,000  francs.  Mme.  Dillon 
had  borrowed  this  capital  from  him,  agreeing  to  pay 
him  interest.  When  Monsieur  Combes  learned  at 
Martinique  of  our  arrival  at  Boston,  and  also  of 
our  intention  to  buy  property,  the  excellent  man,  who 
loved  me  like  a  father,  had  the  thought  of  joining  this 
sum,  his  entire  fortune,  to  the  funds  which  we 
possessed,  in  order  to  permit  us  to  acquire  a  more 
considerable  establishment,  where  he  would  come  to 
be  with  us  and  pass  the  rest  of  his  days.  He  therefore 
asked  Mme.  Dillon  to  repay  the  capital  which  he 
had  loaned  her.  She  not  only  refused  his  demand, 
but  she  also  would  not  set  the  time  when  she  would 
repay  his  money.  He  was  in  despair  over  the  failure 
of  his  plans  and  prayed  and  menaced  Mme.  Dillon, 
but  all  without  effect.  Every  vessel  which  came  from 
Martinique  to  the  United  States  brought  me  a  letter 
from  him.  He  wrote  that  he  did  not  dare  to  leave 
Mme.  Dillon,  hoping  that  by  his  presence  he  would 
finally  succeed  in  obtaining  his  money.  In  the  midst 
of  all  this,  Mme.  Dillon  left  for  England.  Before  her 
departure,  poor  Monsieur  Combes  who  remained  at 
Martinique  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  paper,  in  due 

C289] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

form,  acknowledging  the  debt  of  60,000  francs  of 
capital  and  the  interest  which  then  amounted  to 
nearly  10,000  francs,  in  addition. 

Upon  my  arrival  at  Richmond,  I  received  the  sad 
news  of  the  death  of  my  old  friend.  A  short  time 
before,  in  his  last  letter,  he  had  told  me  that  the 
climate  of  the  Islands,  and  still  more  the  chagrin  at 
knowing  that  I  was  again  in  France  without  re- 
sources, was  killing  him.  He  added  that  he  was 
writing  to  Mme.  Dillon  requesting  her  to  pay  me 
the  interest  of  the  capital  of  70,000  francs  which  she 
owed  him. 

By  will,  in  legal  form,  he  left  me  his  credit  of 
70,000  francs  on  Mme.  Dillon,  as  well  as  the  running 
income  which  amounted  to  1500  or  1800  francs. 
From  the  very  day  that  she  knew  of  this  legacy  the 
attitude  of  Mme.  Dillon  towards  us  completely 
changed.  She  kept  a  fine  house  at  London  and  spent 
freely  in  dinners  and  evening  entertainments,  but  if 
we  had  need  of  money  she  referred  us  to  a  Creole 
emigre  who  was  charged  with  the  care  of  her  affairs. 
To  all  our  demands  with  the  object  of  having  her 
fix  a  date  when  she  would  pay  the  interest  of  our 
credit,  she  replied  evasively.  One  time  there  was  no 
sale  for  her  sugar,  another  time  her  funds  had  not 
been  received.  In  short,  every  day  some  new  excuse 
was  offered.  Having  addressed  myself  directly  to  her, 
I  was  very  badly  received.  We  spoke  of  the  matter 
to  her  son,  Alexandre  de  La  Touche.  My  husband 
also  took  the  matter  up  with  her  man-of-affairs,  but 
all  of  our  attempts  remained  without  success. 

The  money  which  we  received  was  given  us  like 

[290] 


EXILE  IN   ENGLAND 

alms,  although  it  came  from  our  own  property. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  pay  our  part 
of  the  expenses  with  Mme.  d'Henin,  and  this  con- 
stituted for  us  a  new  cause  of  embarrassment.  How 
many  times  I  regretted  that  I  had  not  remained  at 
Cossey! 

Our  participation  in  the  household  of  Mme. 
d'Henin  was  to  me  insupportable.  She  had  given  us 
such  bad  quarters  that  we  were  not  able  to  receive 
any  one.  Our  lodging  comprised  only  two  small  bed- 
rooms on  the  ground  floor,  and  in  England  it  is  not 
customary  to  receive  visitors  in  your  bed-rooms.  I 
occupied  one  of  these  rooms  with  my  daughter,  and 
my  husband  the  other  with  our  son.  In  the  evening 
only,  we  found  our  aunt  in  a  handsome  salon  which 
she  had  on  the  first  floor.  It  was  very  inconvenient 
certainly,  but,  if  our  life  had  been  pleasant,  I  would 
not  have  been  disturbed.  While  admitting  the  great 
and  fine  qualities  of  Mme.  d'Henin,  and  never  failing 
to  show  her  the  respect  which  I  owed  her,  I  was 
forced  nevertheless  to  recognize  that  our  characters 
were  not  sympathetic.  Perhaps  it  was  my  fault  and 
I  should  have  remained  insensible  to  the  thousand 
pin  pricks  which  she  gave  me.  Monsieur  de  Lally, 
the  most  timid  of  men,  would  not  have  dared  to 
venture  the  least  drollery  which  might  have  amused 
me.  I  was  still  young  and  gay.  At  twenty-eight  years 
of  age  how  could  I  have  had  the  severity  of  mien 
imposed  by  the  fifty  years  of  my  aunt.?  Absorbed  in 
politics,  the  only  thing  which  interested  her  was  the 
Constitution  which  it  was  necessary  to  give  to  France. 
This  bored  me  to  death.  And  then  came  the  writings 

[291  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

of  Monsieur  de  Lally  which  it  was  necessary  to  read 
and  re-read,  word  by  word,  phrase  by  phrase.  In 
fine,  I  aspired  to  have  a  household  of  my  own,  no 
matter  how  small  it  might  be.  As  I  could  not  see 
any  opportunity,  I  was  resigned. 


[292] 


CHAPTER   EIGHT 

1798-1799 

LIFE  AT  RICHMOND 

The  Princesse  de  Bouillon  in  Enf;land. —  Birth  and  Death  of 
Edward. —  Change  of  Residence  at  Richmond. —  Facilities 
of  Life  in  England. —  Narrow  Circumstances  of  Monsieur 
and  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Distress  of  Monsieur  de 
Chambeau. —  He  is  Aided  by  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin. —  The  One  Hundred  Pounds  of  Edward  Jernlngham. — 
A  Week  at  London. —  An  Eight  Days'  Excursion. —  Plans 
for  Return  to  France  Abandoned. —  The  Circulating 
Library. 

IT  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  summer  of  1798 
that  the  Princesse  de  Bouillon,  of  whom  I  have 
spoken  at  the  commencement  of  these  Recollec- 
tions, came  to  England  to  arrange  the  affairs  of  an 
inheritance  which  had  been  left  her  by  her  friend, 
the  Duchesse  de  Biron.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  the 
sum  involved  was  600,000  francs  in  English  funds. 
Mme.  de  Bouillon  was  a  German,  Princesse  de  Hesse- 
Rothenbourg,  although  she  had  passed  her  life  in 
France  where  she  had  married  the  cripple  who  had 
never  been  her  husband  except  in  name.  Joined  by 
a  long  and  faithful  attachment  to  Prince  Emmanuel 
de  Salm,  she  had  had  a  daughter  who  was  brought 
up  under  the  name  of  Theresia.  During  the  emigra- 
tion this  daughter  had  married  a  young  counsellor 
of  the  Parlement  of  Aix  who  has  since  become  well 
known,  M.  de  Vitrolles. 

[293] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

One  morning  after  my  aunt  had  gone  to  make  a 
call  on  Mme.  de  Bouillon,  I  saw  these  two  ladies 
return  together.  Several  moments  later,  Mme.  d'Henin 
entered  my  room  accompanied  by  my  hushand.  "We 
have  arranged  for  you,"  she  said.  *' Monsieur  de 
Vitrolles  is  going  away,  and  Mme.  de  Bouillon  does 
not  wish  to  remain  alone  in  her  lodging,  although  she 
has  it  at  her  disposal  for  three  months  still.  She 
wishes  to  give  it  up  to  you  in  exchange  for  your  own. 
You  will  be  much  more  comfortable  there."  A  sign 
from  my  husband  gave  me  to  understand  that  I  ought 
to  accept  this  proposition. 

I  therefore  moved  to  the  dwelling  of  Mme.  de 
Bouillon,  and  here  was  born  a  boy  to  whom  we  gave 
the  name  of  Edward,  as  he  was  the  god-son  of  Lady 
Jerningham  and  her  son  Edward.  The  good  Chevalier 
Jerningham  came  to  see  me  and  said  that  my  aunt, 
his  sister-in-law,  thought  that  with  three  children, 
I  could  not,  when  I  left  my  present  residence,  return 
to  the  two  little  rooms  of  the  modest  lodging  which 
I  had  occupied  with  Mme.  d'Henin.  He  had  therefore 
undertaken  to  find  a  small  house  at  Richmond  where 
we  would  be  at  home.  His  search  had  succeeded  be- 
yond anything  we  could  have  hoped  for. 

The  house  belonged  to  a  former  actress  of  Drury 
Lane  who  had  been  at  one  time  very  beautiful  and 
very  popular.  She  never  occupied  it,  but  the  dwelling 
was  so  neat  and  well  kept  that  she  was  not  anxious 
to  lease  it.  However,  the  eloquence  of  the  Chevalier 
and  the  forty-five  pounds  sterling  offered  as  rent  by 
Lady  Jerningham  decided  her.  This  little  house 
which  was  a  real  jewel  was  only  fifteen  feet  wide. 

[294] 


LIFE   AT   RICHMOND 

On  the  ground  floor  was  a  liall,  a  pretty  salon  with 
two  windows  and  then  a  stairway  which  was  hardly 
visible.  The  first  floor  comprised  two  charming  bed- 
rooms, and  the  floor  above,  two  other  rooms  for 
servants.  At  the  end  of  the  hall,  on  the  ground  floor, 
was  a  nice  kitchen  which  looked  out  on  a  miniature 
garden,  with  only  a  path  and  two  flower-beds.  There 
were  rugs  everywhere  and  fine  English  oilcloth  in 
the  passage-ways  and  upon  the  staircase.  Nothing 
could  have  been  more  attractive,  cleaner  and  more 
gracefully  furnished  than  this  little  house  which 
could  have  all  been  put  in  a  room  of  medium  size. 

However,  I  was  very  unhappy  in  taking  possession, 
for  that  very  day  I  lost  my  little  boy,  aged  three 
months.  He  was  carried  off  in  a  moment  by  an  attack 
of  pleurisy  which  I  attributed  to  the  neglect  of  the 
English  maid  who  cared  for  him.  I  was  very  ill  and 
almost  dying  when  I  took  possession  of  the  little 
house  with  my  two  surviving  children,  Humbert  and 
Charlotte.  Having  only  these  two  children  to  look 
after,  we  discharged  our  English  servant.  My  maid, 
Marguerite,  had  learned  a  little  cooking  during  my 
absence  in  the  United  States  and  she  very  willingly 
placed  her  experience  and  above  all  her  zeal  at  our 
disposal. 

England,  where  there  are  fortunes  so  immense, 
existences  so  luxurious,  is  at  the  same  time  the 
country  in  the  world  where  poor  people  can  live  in 
the  most  comfortable  manner.  For  instance,  there  is 
no  necessity  for  going  to  market.  The  butcher  never 
fails  a  single  day  to  come  at  a  fixed  hour  crying, 
"Butcher,"  at  your  door.  You  open  the  door  and 

[  295  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

tell  him  what  you  want.  Is  it  a  leg  of  lamb  ?  He  brings 
it  all  arranged  ready  to  put  upon  the  spit.  Is  it  lamb 
chops?  They  are  arranged  on  a  little  wooden  platter 
which  he  calls  for  the  following  day.  On  a  slip  of 
paper  are  written  the  weight  and  the  price. 

About  this  time,  as  Mme.  Dillon  refused  to  pay 
our  income,  we  found  ourselves  much  embarrassed. 
All  the  money  which  we  had  on  hand  was  five  or 
six  hundred  francs,  and  when  this  sum  was  spent 
we  did  not  know  what  we  could  do,  not  for  a  lodging, 
for  our  little  house  cost  us  nothing,  but  literally  for 
our  food.  My  friend.  Chevalier  Jerningham,  had  in- 
formed me  that  my  uncle,  Lord  Dillon,  had  refused 
with  the  greatest  severity  to  come  to  our  aid.  In 
addition  to  this,  all  communications  had  ceased  with 
France. 

At  this  moment  we  received  from  Monsieur  de 
Chambeau,  who  was  still  living  in  Spain,  a  despondent 
letter  in  which  he  said  that  he  had  no  news  from 
France  and  that  nobody  had  sent  him  a  sou.  His 
uncle,  a  former  Fermier  General,  of  whom  he  was 
the  sole  heir,  had  just  died  after  having  made  a  will 
in  his  favor,  but  the  government  had  confiscated  the 
inheritance  on  the  ground  that  he  was  an  emigre. 
The  day  that  he  wrote  us,  a  last  louis  composed  his 
entire  fortune,  and  he  could  no  longer  count  upon 
his  friends  in  Spain,  whose  good  will  he  had  already 
exhausted.  Upon  receiving  this  letter,  my  husband 
did  not  hesitate  a  moment  to  share  with  his  friend 
the  last  of  his  funds.  He  rushed  to  a  banker  where 
he  purchased  a  draft  for  ten  pounds  sterling,  payable 
to  bearer.  The  same  day  he  sent  it  to  Madrid.  This 

[296] 


LIFE   AT   RICHMOND 

was  nearly  a  half  of  our  own  resources.  There  re- 
mained with  us  only  twelve  pounds  sterling  on  hand, 
without  any  other  resources  to  pay  our  bills  when  this 
sum  was  spent.  We  were  not  willing  to  ask  the  aid 
accorded  by  the  English  government  to  the  emigres, 
on  account  of  my  family,  and  above  all,  on  account 
of  Lady  Jerningham.  So  far  as  Lord  Dillon  was 
concerned,  I  had  no  scruples  of  any  kind.  Out  of 
respect  for  the  memory  of  my  father,  I  did  not  wish 
to  declare  publicly  that  his  widow,  Mme.  Dillon,  my 
step-mother,  who  was  proprietor  of  a  house  at  London 
where  she  gave  dinners  and  evening  entertainments, 
had  refused  to  come  to  my  succor. 

A  last  five  pound  note  was  all  we  had  left,  when 
one  morning  my  good  cousin,  Edward  Jerningham, 
came  to  see  me.  He  was  a  charming  young  man  who 
had  just  passed  his  twenty-first  birthday.  He  well 
justified  the  passionate  love  which  his  mother  felt 
for  him.  As  he  arose  to  leave,  I  went  to  the  door  to 
see  him  mount  his  horse.  He  remained  a  moment 
behind  and  I  saw  him  slip  something  into  my  work- 
basket.  I  made  a  pretense  of  not  noticing  anything, 
on  account  of  his  extreme  embarrassment.  After  his 
departure  I  found  in  my  basket  a  sealed  letter  ad- 
dressed to  me.  It  contained  only  these  words: 
"Offered  to  my  dear  cousin  by  her  friend,  Ned," 
and  a  note  for  one  hundred  pounds  sterling. 

My  husband  returned  a  moment  afterwards,  and 
I  said  to  him:  "See,  here  is  the  reward  for  what  you 
have  done  for  Monsieur  de  Chambeau."  The  next 
day,  as  you  may  well  suppose,  he  went  to  London  to 
thank  Edward  but  found  that  he  had  already  left 

C  297] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

for  Cossey.  Several  days  later,  I  also  went  to  London 
with  two  English  ladies  whom  I  knew  and  whom  I 
frequently  saw  at  Richmond.  They  were  two  sisters, 
of  whom  the  elder.  Miss  Lydia  White,  has  been 
celebrated  as  a  famous  "Blue  Stocking."  She  had 
conceived  for  me  a  kind  of  romantic  passion,  on 
account  of  my  adventures  in  America.  One  of  these 
ladies  sang  well,  and  we  enjoyed  our  music  together. 
Their  books  were  at  my  disposal.  When  I  went  to 
visit  them  in  the  morning  they  kept  me  with  them 
the  whole  day,  and,  when  the  evening  arrived,  I  was 
only  able  to  tear  myself  away  by  promising  to  return 
before  the  end  of  the  week.  Having  formed  the  plan 
of  passing  a  week  at  London,  they  implored  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  to  permit  me  to  accompany  them. 
This  little  trip  to  London  with  Miss  Lydia  White 
and  her  sister  put  me  somewhat  in  touch  with  society. 
We  went  to  the  Opera  and  they  also  took  me  to  a 
large  assembly  at  the  house  of  a  lady  whom  I  hardly 
saw.  There  were  people  on  the  stairway,  and  no  one 
was  able  to  sit  down.  We  had  great  difficulty  in 
leaving  the  house,  the  crowd  of  guests  was  so  nu- 
merous. At  the  end  of  the  week,  which  appeared  to 
me  long  and  tiresome,  I  returned  with  pleasure  to 
Richmond. 

Monsieur  de  Poix,  who  was  living  at  Richmond, 
had  an  excellent  horse  and  a  tilbury.  Frequently  I 
went  on  foot  to  Teddington,  a  village  about  two 
miles  from  Richmond,  and  he  brought  me  back  to 
Richmond  in  his  carriage. 

In  this  way  passed  the  summer  of  1798. 

We  made  an  excursion  of  a  week  of  which  I  retain 

C298] 


LIFE  AT  RICHMOND 

the  pleasantest  recollections.  My  children  were  so 
safe  with  my  excellent  maid,  that  this  little  absence 
did  not  cause  me  any  disquietude.  We  set  out, 
Monsieur  de  Poix  and  I  in  his  tilbury,  my  husband 
on  horseback,  and,  having  passed  Windsor,  we  went 
to  spend  the  night  at  Maidenhead.  From  there  we 
went  to  Oxford,  to  Blenheim,  to  Stowe,  and  returned 
by  Aylesbury  and  Uxbridge.  The  beautiful  country 
estates  which  we  visited  charmed  me.  It  is  in  the 
country  only  that  the  English  are  really  grands 
seigneurs.  We  were  favored  by  very  fine  weather 
during  the  whole  week  which  we  employed  for  this 
excursion.  In  this  connection,  I  must  say  that  the 
climate  of  England,  outside  of  London,  is  very  much 
calumniated.  I  have  not  found  it  worse  than  that  of 
Holland,  and  incomparably  better  and  less  uncertain 
than  that  of  Belgium.  Our  little  trip  left  with  me  the 
most  agreeable  impression. 

Returned  to  Ricnmond,  I  resumed  my  household 
occupations.  The  news  from  France  appeared  some- 
what better.  My  husband  even  formed  the  plan  of 
sending  me  over  tor  several  days,  armed  with  an 
English  passport,  which  would  not  have  been  en- 
tirely false,  since  I  should  have  signed  it  by  my 
maiden  name,  Lucy  Dillon.  At  this  moment  un- 
favorable news  was  received,  and  this  determined  me 
to  renounce  my  trip  to  France.  The  news  came  the 
very  day  that  I  was  to  set  out.  Personally  I  was 
much  pleased  not  to  undertake  this  trip  which  was 
very  disagreeable  to  me,  not  because  I  was  afraid, 
but  because  the  thought  of  leaving  my  husband  and 

[299] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

children  caused  me  a  real  chagrin.  At  this  time,  I 
made  the  resolution  never  to  return  to  France  with- 
out them. 

My  life  at  Richmond  was  very  monotonous.  I  no 
longer  saw  anything  of  Mme.  Dillon,  since  we  had 
succeeded  in  getting  some  money  from  her  at  the 
end  of  a  very  lively  correspondence  between  my 
husband  and  her  man-of-affairs.  When  I  went  to 
London,  which  happened  only  once  or  twice,  I  saw 
no  one  except  Lady  Jerningham  or  Lord  Kenmare, 
who  for  a  year  past  had  given  me  six  louis  a  month. 
Once  a  week  I  paid  a  visit  to  Mme.  de  Duras  at 
Teddington  where  I  went  sometimes  alone  on  foot 
and  sometimes  with  Monsieur  de  Poix  in  his  carriage. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  winter.  Miss  White  left 
Richmond.  This  was  a  real  grief  to  me,  not  because 
we  had  formed  a  durable  friendship,  but  because  she 
had  been  so  kind  to  me  that  I  had  found  her  sojourn 
in  our  neighborhood  very  agreeable. 

For  some  time  past  my  health  had  not  been  good. 
I  felt  very  languid,  without  knowing  exactly  what 
was  the  matter  with  me.  I  was  not  able  to  have  a 
carriage,  and  our  house  was  situated  in  a  remote 
quarter  called  "The  Green."  I  had  therefore  given 
up  going  out  after  supper  and  devoted  my  evenings 
to  reading  the  books  which  Miss  White,  who  had  a 
fine  library,  had  sent  me  in  large  numbers.  A  sub- 
scription to  the  Circulating  Library  is  very  dear  in 
England  and  I  was  not  able  to  take  one.  Therefore, 
you  can  imagine  my  joy  when  one  day  I  received  a 
box  addressed  in  my  name,  of  which  the  messenger 

C300] 


LIFE  AT   RICHMOND 

gave  me  the  key.  I  opened  it  and  found  ten  volumes 
from  Ookam's  Circulating  Library  at  London,  with 
a  catalogue  of  twenty  thousand  volumes  of  all  kinds, 
English  and  French,  which  were  contained  in  this 
library.  Joined  to  this  consignment  was  a  receipt 
in  my  name  for  a  year's  subscription,  with  a  notice 
that  by  putting  the  box  on  the  stage  at  seven  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  I  would  receive  the  same  evening  the 
new  books  which  I  had  ordered.  Nothing  could  have 
been  more  agreeable  to  me  than  this  attention.  I 
attributed  it  to  Miss  White.  Having  written  to 
thank  her,  she  made  no  reply,  from  which  I  inferred 
that  she  did  not  wish  to  admit  that  she  had  sent  the 
books. 

The  summer  of  1799  my  health  was  somewhat 
better.  Our  house  on  "The  Green"  had  a  party  wall 
with  that  of  a  rich  alderman  of  London.  A  little 
fence,  eight  or  ten  feet  from  our  windows,  formed  a 
barrier  between  the  two  properties,  as  is  usual  in 
England.  The  house  of  the  alderman  had  a  pretty 
yard  covered  with  turf,  surrounded  like  our  own  by 
a  fence.  My  son  had  arranged  a  small  flower-bed  in 
the  little  space  which  he  called  his  garden.  He  entered 
this  by  the  window  of  our  sitting  room  where  I  al- 
ways sat  with  my  work.  His  sister,  Charlotte,  often 
accompanied  him  to  the  garden.  As  we  were  living 
in  an  out  of  the  way  place,  hardly  any  one  ever 
passed  our  house. 


C  301  ] 


CHAPTER  NINE 
1799-1800 

RETURN  TO  PARIS 

Again  at  Cossey. —  News  of  the  i8  Brumaire. —  Plans  for  Re- 
turn to  France. —  The  Wait  at  Yarmouth. —  The  Crossing. 
—  The  Debarkment  at  Cuxhaven. —  In  the  North  of 
Germany. —  The  Ball  at  Wildeshausen. —  Birth  of  Cecile. — 
En  Route  for  Holland. —  At  Utrecht. —  Unexpected  Meet- 
ing with  Mme.  d'Henin. —  Arrival  at  Paris. —  Residence 
in  the  Rue  de  Miromesnil. —  Mme.  Bonaparte. —  Monsieur 
de  Beauharnais  the  Best  Dancer  in  Paris. —  The  Morality 
of  Talleyrand. —  A  Visit  to  Mme.  Bonaparte. —  Certificates 
of  Residence. —  At  Malmaison. —  The  Gallery  of  Mme. 
Bonaparte. —  Mme.  de  Stael  and  Bonaparte. 

THE  summer  of  1799  passed  without  any- 
thing unusual.  Lady  Jerningham  was  again 
settled  at  Cossey,  where  she  had  invited  me 
to  rejoin  her  and  pass  the  six  months  of  her  sojourn 
in  the  country.  The  lease  of  our  house  at  Richmond, 
which  she  had  taken  for  us,  was  on  the  point  of 
expiring,  and  it  would  have  been  hardly  considerate 
on  our  part  to  ask  her  to  renew  it,  with  the  view  of 
not  accepting  the  hospitality  which  she  offered  us. 
My  aunt  was  alone  at  Cossey.  Her  niece,  Fanny 
Dillon,  my  cousin,  whom  she  had  brought  up,  had 
just  married  Sir  Thomas  Webb,  a  Catholic  Baronet 
who  was  quite  an  ordinary  man  although  very  well 
born.  Her  eldest  son,  George  Jerningham,  had  also 

C302] 


RETURN  TO  PARIS 

married  a  Miss  Sulyard,  a  very  beautiful  young  lady 
belonging  to  an  old  and  noble  Catholic  family. 
William  Jerningham  was  in  Germany.  Her  favorite 
son,  Edward,  had  not  left  her,  and  that  was  all  that 
was  necessary.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  would 
have  been  a  real  disgrace  for  us  not  to  go  to  Cossey. 
We  were  making  our  preparations  accordingly  to  set 
out,  when  there  arrived  the  news  of  the  unexpected 
return  from  Egyj)t  of  General  Bonaparte  who  had 
landed  at  Frejus. 

On  learning  of  this  event  we  left  at  once  for  Cossey 
with  the  hope  of  being  able  soon  to  go  over  to  the 
Continent  and  perhaps  to  return  to  France.  It  was 
during  our  sojourn  there  that  we  received  the  happy 
news  of  the  fall  of  the  Directory  and  of  the  Revolu- 
tion of  the  1 8  Brumaire.  Some  time  later  we  received 
letters  from  Monsieur  de  Brouquens  and  our  brother- 
in-law,  the  Marquis  de  Lameth,  urging  us  to  return 
to  France  by  way  of  Holland  with  German  passports. 

Lady  Jerningham  proposed  that  my  husband 
should  leave  alone.  This  would  perhaps  have  been 
better  on  account  of  the  state  of  my  health,  but  no 
consideration  could  determine  me  to  be  separated 
from  my  husband  for  an  indefinite  time.  The  com- 
munications between  England  and  France,  in  time 
of  war,  might  be  entirely  interrupted.  The  news 
which  we  received  from  Hamburg  was  often  a  month 
old;  so  we  rejected  all  the  propositions  of  Lady 
Jerningham. 

A  Danish  passport  was  sent  from  London  for  my 
husband,  my  children  and  myself.  We  set  out  for 
Yarmouth   with    the   idea   of  taking   passage   on   a 

C303  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

packet  of  the  Royal  Marine.  At  this  time  there  were 
no  steamboats.  Our  wait  at  Yarmouth  was  prolonged 
during  the  whole  month  of  December.  We  did  not 
dare  to  return  to  Cossey,  although  the  distance  was 
only  eighteen  miles,  as  the  Captain  had  declared  that 
as  soon  as  the  wind  became  favorable,  that  is  to  say, 
from  the  southeast,  he  would  sail  immediately.  He 
would  hardly  consent  to  let  us  remain  on  land,  as  he 
was  in  such  haste  to  leave  as  soon  as  possible.  Every 
courier  brought  dispatches  from  the  government. 

Never  had  I  passed  such  tedious  days  as  during 
the  month  we  were  at  Yarmouth.  We  were  living  in 
a  very  poor  lodging  with  two  rooms,  and  we  were  not 
able  to  go  out  for  the  weather  was  frightful.  The 
contrary  winds  blew  with  fury.  Every  day  there  were 
reports  of  vessels  which  had  been  lost.  You  can 
imagine  how  such  news  was  of  a  nature  to  discourage 
persons  who  might  be  called  upon  to  embark  at  any 
moment. 

Finally  one  morning  they  came  to  inform  us  that 
it  was  necessary  to  go  on  board,  where  our  baggage 
had  been  already  for  a  long  time.  Hardly  had  we  set 
foot  on  deck  when  the  anchor  was  lifted.  The  sea 
was  very  rough  and  we  had  a  very  disagreeable 
passage  which  lasted  forty-eight  hours.  About  the 
middle  of  the  second  night  we  were  for  some  hours 
uncertain  as  to  whether  or  not  we  might  be  left  on 
Heligoland,  a  little  island  off  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe, 
in  case  the  current  did  not  loosen  the  ice.  The  Captain 
subsequently  declared  that  on  account  of  the  violent 
weather,  if  the  wind  had  veered  a  single  point  to  the 
north,  he  would  have  been  forced  to  return  to  Eng- 

[304] 


RETURN  TO   PARIS 

land  witliout  attcni])ti]ig  to  land.  Fortunately  we 
escaped  both  of  these  eventualities.  After  having 
passed  the  island  of  Heligoland  we  entered  the  Elbe 
and  moored  in  the  offing  of  the  little  port  of  Cuxhaven 
which  we  did  not  enter. 

The  Captain  was  in  haste  to  be  relieved  of  his 
passengers.  Everything  was  thrown  pell-mell  into  the 
long-boat.  My  husband  and  my  maid  left  with  my 
son.  As  for  myself,  the  Caj)tain,  on  account  of  the 
state  of  my  health,  put  me  with  my  little  girl  in  his 
private  boat  and  ordered  the  two  sailors  to  land  me 
as  near  as  possible  to  the  city.  This  injunction  was 
nearly  fatal  to  me.  The  tide  being  low,  when  we  came 
alongside  the  jetty,  I  found  much  difficulty  in  land- 
ing. The  two  sailors  seized  me  then  by  the  wrists 
and,  in  spite  of  the  motion  of  the  boat,  they  would 
not  let  go,  fortunately,  for  I  certainly  should  have 
fallen  into  the  sea.  Then  they  hoisted  me  on  the  jetty 
in  such  a  manner  that  for  several  moments  I  was 
suspended  by  the  arms.  They  left  me  then  alone 
with  my  little  Charlotte.  Although  I  was  feeling  very 
ill,  I  was  forced  nevertheless  to  set  out  to  meet  my 
husband  whom  I  perceived  at  a  distance  in  a  small 
wagon  in  which  were  our  baggage  and  my  maid.  I 
felt  a  violent  pain  in  my  right  side  and  I  have  always 
thought  since  that  I  suffered  some  internal  injury. 
We  were  obliged  to  knock  at  the  door  of  two  or  three 
inns  without  being  able  to  find  a  lodging,  on  account 
of  the  number  of  emigres  who  were  leaving  for  or 
arriving  from  England. 

Finally  we  succeeded  in  persuading  one  inn-keeper 
to  give  us  temporary  quarters.  A  few  moments  Inter 

[305  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  was  taken  with  a  violent  fever  and  was  out  of  my 
head.  My  husband  who  was  very  anxious  sent  for  a 
doctor.  After  a  long  search  they  brought  back  one 
who  did  not  speak  a  word  of  French.  He  applied  a 
plaster  to  my  side  and  ordered  me  a  calming  draft 
which  caused  me  to  sleep  continuously  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  On  waking  up  I  felt  all  right  again. 

While  I  was  asleep  my  husband  had  purchased  for 
two  hundred  francs  a  little  old  caleche  which  was 
sufficiently  spacious  to  contain  us  all.  After  a  second 
day  of  repose  we  set  out  in  this  open  carriage  in  the 
month  of  January,  in  the  north  of  Germany.  Fortu- 
nately the  weather  was  favorable  the  first  days  of  our 
journey.  The  fourth  day  a  torrential  rain  did  not 
cease  to  fall.  Marguerite  and  I  were  somewhat  pro- 
tected by  the  back  of  the  caleche^  but  my  husband 
and  my  son,  in  spite  of  an  umbrella,  were  wet  to  the 
skin.  We  remained  two  days  at  Bremen  to  dry  our 
clothes  behind  the  fine  large  stoves  which  you  find 
in  the  German  houses,  and  also  to  obtain  a  little 
repose.  Then  the  weather  became  fine  and  we  again 
set  out.  Much  snow  had  fallen  and  it  was  difficult  to 
distinguish  the  route  in  the  plains  of  heather  which 
we  were  traversing. 

Towards  evening  we  arrived  at  the  little  city  of 
Wildeshausen  where  we  were  to  pass  the  night.  It 
was  situated  in  the  electorate  of  Hanover  and  had 
consequently  a  Hanoverian  garrison.  The  officers  that 
day  were  giving  a  great  ball  to  another  regiment 
which  was  passing  through.  AH  the  rooms  of  the  only 
inn  in  the  locality  were  occupied.  We  found  refuge 

[  306  ] 


RETURN  TO   PARIS 

in  the  vestibule  near  the  stove  and  were  very  sad 
over  the  prospect  of  passing  the  night  upon  the 
wooden  benches,  when  an  officer  all  dressed  for  the 
ball  came  gallantly  to  say  to  me  in  English  that  as 
he  was  to  pass  the  whole  night  at  the  ball  he  would 
place  his  room  at  my  disposal.  There  we  went  for 
supper. 

A  httle  later  I  was  taken  very  ill  and  the  proprie- 
tor of  the  hotel  sent  a  messenger  to  the  end  of  the 
city  to  awaken  an  old  hairdresser,  a  Frenchman  by 
origin,  who  had  been  settled  at  Wildeshausen  since 
the  Seven  Years'  War.  He  arrived  very  promptly  as 
he  had  not  yet  gone  to  bed  on  account  of  the  ball. 
His  first  care  was  to  run  in  search  of  a  physician  who 
lived  in  the  vicinity.  The  doctor,  an  elegant  young 
man,  arrived,  wearing  white  gloves.  He  had  left  the 
ball  and  was  still  out  of  breath  from  his  last  waltz. 
His  acquaintance  with  the  French  language  com- 
prised only  several  medical  phrases.  The  old  per- 
ruquier,  Denis,  fortunately  came  to  our  rescue  to 
explain  the  nature  of  my  malady.  He  asked  if  I 
could  be  transported  without  trouble  to  two  rooms 
which  he  knew  were  to  let  at  the  end  of  the  city. 
The  doctor  consented  and  then  returned  to  the  ball. 
Denis  ran  to  awaken  the  proprietor  of  these  rooms 
and  before  daybreak  I  was  settled  there. 

The  house,  like  all  those  of  the  prosperous  peasants 
of  this  part  of  Germany,  had  a  large  porte-cochere 
by  which  you  entered  a  large  carriage  house  which 
occupied  the  whole  depth  of  the  house.  In  front,  at 
right  and  left  of  this  carriage  house  on  the  ground 
floor  were  two  good  rooms,  very  neat  and  quite  well 

C307] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

furnished.  Marguerite  and  my  two  children  took  one, 
while  I  was  placed  in  the  larger  room,  and  my  hus- 
band took  possession  of  a  small  cabinet  adjoining. 

The  following  morning,  the  thirteenth  of  February, 
1800,  was  born  my  little  girl,  to  whom  we  gave  the 
name  of  Cecile. 

The  following  day  the  bailiff  of  the  locality,  who 
had  already  sent  once  in  search  of  our  passport, 
dispatched  one  of  the  village  guards  to  lead  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  to  him.  He  said  to  my  husband 
in  good  French:  ''Sir,  your  Danish  passport  is  under 
a  false  name.  You  are  French  and  an  emigre,  and  in 
the  electorate  of  Hanover  where  you  are  now,  it  is 
forbidden  to  allow  the  sojourn  of  French  emigres 
more  than  forty-eight  hours." 

My  husband  was  terrified  by  this  discourse.  He 
alleged  that  I  was  not  in  a  state  to  be  transported, 
but  the  bailiff  was  inflexible  as  to  the  departure  of 
my  husband  and  declared  that  before  the  end  of  the 
day  he  must  take  his  choice  between  leaving  for 
Hanover  and  returning  to  Bremen.  Then  he  added: 
"Sir,  since  you  acknowledge  that  you  are  French, 
let  me  know  your  real  name." 

"La  Tour  du  Pin." 

"Ah!  mon  Dieu,"  cried  the  bailiff.  "Are  you  the 
former  Minister  of  France  to  The  Hague?" 
Exactly." 

'Well,  sir,  if  it  is  so,  remain  here  as  long  as  you 
wish.  My  nephew.  Monsieur  Hinuber,  a  very  young 
man,  was  Minister  of  Hanover  at  The  Hague.  He 
often  visited  your  house  and  you  were  very  kind  to 
him." 

[308] 


RETURN  TO   PARIS 

From  this  moment  he  placed  himself  at  our  disposal 
with  the  greatest  zeal. 

In  two  weeks  I  was  up  again,  and  at  the  end  of 
another  week  we  set  out  after  having  taken  tea  with 
the  bailiff,  the  burgomaster  and  the  curate.  As  there 
was  a  Catholic  Church  at  Wildeshausen,  my  little 
daughter  was  baptized  there.  She  was  held  at  the 
font  by  the  old  perruquier,  and  his  wife,  who  during 
the  forty  years  of  their  marriage  had  never  learned 
a  word  of  French. 

We  took  the  route  of  Lingen  to  enter  Holland. 
For  several  leagues  we  were  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  young  men.  Before  leaving  they  insisted 
that  I  should  drink  a  cup  of  a  German  mixture  of 
which  they  had  prepared  the  ingredients.  I  thought 
it  would  be  detestable  but  nevertheless,  after  having 
tasted  it,  I  found  the  beverage  delicious.  It  was  com- 
posed of  warm  Bordeaux  wine  in  which  they  had 
put  yolks  of  eggs  and  spices.  The  Doctor  was  among 
those  who  had  accompanied  me  and  it  was  by  his 
advice  that  I  swallowed  this  mixture  which  some- 
what inebriated  me.  The  worthy  fellows  of  our  escort 
then  left  us  and  wished  us  with  fervor  a  bon  voyage. 
Their  wish  brought  us  good  fortune  for  nothing 
troublesome  happened,  and  my  little  girl  endured  the 
trip  in  an  astonishing  manner  for  a  baby  who  was 
not  a  month  old. 

We  finally  arrived  at  Utrecht,  and  my  husband 
went  at  once  to  The  Hague  to  obtain  a  passport 
en  regie,  from  the  Ambassador  of  the  French  Republic, 
Monsieur  de  Semonville.  The  latter,  who  turned  with 

[309] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

each  wind  which  blew,  had  already  succeeded  in 
pleasing  the  new  government  of  which  Bonaparte 
was  the  head.  My  husband  had  known  Monsieur  de 
Semonville  very  intimately  for  a  long  time,  so  he  was 
received  with  open  arms,  and  they  fabricated  for  him 
a  superb  passport,  attesting  that  he  had  not  left 
Utrecht  since  the  i8  Fructidor. 

During  the  short  absence  of  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin,  Mme.  d'Henin,  by  the  merest  chance, 
passed  through  Utrecht,  and  my  husband  was  very 
much  surprised  to  find  his  aunt  on  his  return  from 
his  trip  to  The  Hague.  I  think  that  Mme.  d'Henin 
was  on  her  way  to  see  Monsieur  de  La  Fayette  who 
had  been  living  at  Vianen  near  Utrecht,  since  his 
release  from  prison  after  the  Peace  of  Campo  Formio. 
I  do  not  recall  whether  she  had  come  from  France  or 
England.  She  always  had  two  or  three  passports  and 
changed  her  name  and  her  route  at  every  moment. 

We  remained  two  days  with  her,  and  then  taking 
advantage  of  a  carriage  which  was  being  sent  to 
Paris,  and  which  we  were  charged  to  deliver  at  its 
destination,  we  set  out. 

On  arriving  at  Paris  we  stopped  at  the  Hotel 
Grange-Bateliere.  My  brother-in-law  Lameth  and 
our  friend  Brouquens  were  at  Paris.  Monsieur  de 
Lameth  installed  us  in  a  charming  little  house  entirely 
furnished,  Rue  de  Miromesnil,  which  had  been  occu- 
pied prior  to  that  by  two  or  three  friends  who  had 
just  left  to  go  and  pass  the  whole  summer  in  the 
country.  We  were  predestined  to  live  in  the  houses  of 
courtesans.  That  at  Richmond  belonged  to  an  actress; 
this  one  had  been  arranged  for  Mile.  Michelot,  former 

[310] 


RETURN  TO   PARIS 

mistress  of  the  Due  de  Bourbon.  All  the  walls  were 
ornamented  with  mirrors,  with  such  prodigality  that 
I  was  obliged  to  hang  pieces  of  muslin  to  conceal 
the  greater  part  of  them,  as  I  was  much  annoyed  at 
not  being  able  to  move  without  encountering  my 
form  reflected  from  head  to  foot. 

At  Paris  I  found  many  persons  of  my  acquaintance 
who  had  already  returned  from  the  emigration.  All 
the  young  people  from  this  moment  turned  their 
eyes  towards  the  rising  sun,  Mme.  Bonaparte,  who 
was  installed  at  the  Tuileries,  where  the  apartments 
had  been  entirely  refurnished  as  if  by  enchantment. 
She  already  put  on  the  airs  of  a  queen,  but  of  a 
queen  the  most  gracious,  the  most  amiable,  the  most 
kind  hearted.  Although  she  had  very  little  intelligence, 
she  had  nevertheless  well  penetrated  the  projects  of 
her  husband.  The  First  Consul  had  given  his  wife 
the  mission  of  bringing  to  him  la  haute  societCy  having 
been  persuaded  by  Josephine  that  she  belonged  to  it, 
which  is  not  strictly  true.  I  do  not  know  whether  she 
had  ever  been  presented  at  Court  or  visited  at 
Versailles,  but  thanks  to  the  name  of  her  first  hus- 
band. Monsieur  de  Beauharnais,  the  thing  \\as 
certainly  possible. 

During  the  years  1787  to  1791,  I  met  Monsieur  de 
Beauharnais  constantly  in  society.  As  he  had  seen 
my  husband  frequently  when  he  was  aide  de  camp  of 
Monsieur  de  Bouille,  during  the  war  in  America, 
Monsieur  de  Beauharnais  said  to  him  one  day: 
''Come  and  see  me,  so  that  I  may  present  you  to 
my  wife."  My  husband  went  there  once  but  never 
went  again.  The  societv  which  met   in  their  salon 

C3I'] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

was  not  ours.  Monsieur  de  Beauharnais  nevertheless 
went  everywhere,  for  during  the  war  he  had  formed 
ties  with  a  number  of  leaders  of  high  society.  He  had 
a  charming  figure  and  had  the  reputation,  justly,  of 
being  the  finest  dancer  in  Paris.  I  had  often  danced 
with  him  and  I  therefore  experienced  a  very  painful 
feeling  when  I  heard  of  his  death  on  the  scaffold. 

I  again  saw  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  who  was  al- 
ways animated  by  the  same  sentiments  towards  me: 
amiable  without  being  really  useful.  During  the  past 
two  years  he  had  worked  so  successfully  at  increasing 
his  fortune  that  I  found  him  settled  in  a  beautiful 
house,  his  personal  property,  in  the  Rue  d'Anjou.  He 
laughed  in  his  sleeve  at  the  disposition  on  the  part 
of  all  those  who  had  returned  to  France  to  rally  to 
the  government.  He  said  to  me : 

"Que  fait  Gouvernet.?  Veut-il  quelque  chose?'* 

"Non,"  I  replied,  "nous  comptons  aller  nous 
installer  au  Bouilh." 

'Tant  pis,"  he  exclaimed,  "c'est  une  betise." 
Mais,"  I  replied,  "nous  ne  sommes  pas  en  etat 
de  tester  a  Paris." 

"Bah!"  he  said,  "on  a  toujours  de  I'argent  quand 
on  veut."  Voila  I'homme! 

As  soon  as  Mme.  Bonaparte  learned  through  Mme. 
de  Valence  and  Mme.  de  Montesson  of  my  presence 
in  Paris  she  wished  me  to  come  and  see  her.  To  draw 
to  her  a  woman  still  young,  a  former  Lady  of  Honor 
very  much  in  vogue,  would  be  a  conquest,  if  I  dare 
say  so,  of  which  she  was  very  impatient  to  boast  to 
the  First  Consul.  In  order  to  give  value  to  my  con- 

[312] 


((' 


(( 


RETURN  TO   PARIS 

descension,  I  allowed  myself  to  be  implored  a  little, 
then  one  morning,  I  went  with  Mme.  de  Valence  to 
call  on  Mme.  Bonaparte.  I  found  in  the  salon  a 
number  of  ladies  and  a  group  of  young  men,  all  of 
whom  I  knew.  Mme.  Bonaparte  came  to  me  crying: 
**Ah!  la  voila!"  She  seated  me  beside  her  and  said 
a  thousand  pleasant  things,  repeating  all  the  time: 
"Comme  elle  a  I'air  anglais!"  which  ceased  to  be  a 
praiseworthy  trait  a  short  time  later.  She  examined 
me  from  head  to  foot  and  her  attention  was  particu- 
larly drawn  to  a  tress  of  blond  hair  which  surrounded 
my  head  and  from  which  her  eyes  could  not  be  drawn. 
As  we  rose  to  leave  she  could  not  refrain  from  de- 
manding in  a  low  tone  of  Mme.  de  Valence  if  this 
tress  was  indeed  my  own  hair. 

Mme.  Bonaparte  spoke  to  me  with  much  kindness 
of  Mme.  Dillon,  my  step-mother,  and  expressed  a 
warm  desire  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  my  sister 
Fanny,  who  was  at  the  same  time  her  cousin  (the 
mother  of  Mme.  Dillon  and  of  Josephine  having  been 
sisters).  Then  she  continued  by  saying  that  all  the 
emigres  were  going  to  return  and  that  she  was 
charmed,  that  they  had  suffered  enough  and  that 
General  Bonaparte  wished  above  everything  else  to 
bring  to  an  end  the  evils  of  the  Revolution  and  so  on, 
in  short  a  lot  of  reassuring  statements.  She  also  asked 
for  news  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  and  evinced 
a  desire  of  seeing  him.  She  was  leaving  for  Mal- 
maison  and  invited  me  to  come  there.  She  was  very 
pleasant  in  every  way  and  I  saw  clearly  that  the 
First  Consul  had  intrusted  to  her  the  department  of 
the  ladies  of  the  Court  and  the  task  of  their  conquest 

[313  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

when  she  met  them.  The  task  was  not  very  difficult, 
for  all  were  rushing  towards  the  rising  power,  and  I 
do  not  know  any  one,  except  myself,  who  refused  to 
be  Lady  of  Honor  to  the  Empress  Josephine. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  and  I  had  never  been 
inscribed,  I  cannot  explain  why,  upon  the  list  of 
emigres.  It  was  necessary  however  for  us  to  obtain  a 
certificate  of  residence  in  France,  signed  by  nine 
witnesses,  an  indispensable  formality  of  which,  never- 
theless, no  one  was  dupe.  With  this  end  we  went  to 
the  Municipality  of  the  quarter  with  our  squad  of 
witnesses.  When  the  certificate  was  signed  and  clothed 
with  all  the  necessary  mensonges,  the  Mayor  said  to 
me  in  a  low  tone:  ''That  does  not  prevent  you  from 
bringing  from  London  all  your  effects."  Then  he 
began  to  laugh.  What  a  comedy! 

The  place  in  Paris,  during  this  summer,  where  the 
most  distinguished  company  was  brought  together, 
was  under  the  arch  of  a  house  in  the  Place  de  Ven- 
dome :  that  which  forms  the  angle  of  the  Place  on  the 
right  in  going  towards  the  Rue  Saint-Honore  and 
on  the  side  of  that  street.  It  was  there  that  the  Com- 
mission of  the  emigres  held  its  sessions,  a  tribunal  very 
easy  to  conciliate  if  you  did  not  come  with  empty 
hands.  In  the  crowds  which  assembled  at  this  point 
you  met  the  greatest  personages  mingled  with  brokers 
of  every  kind. 

The  French  find  amusement  in  everything.  The 
Commission  of  emigres  had  become  a  place  of  re- 
unions; people  made  appointments  there;  they  went 
there  to  meet  former  acquaintances;  to  talk  over  their 
plans,  their  choice  of  residence.  Many  of  those  who 

[314] 


RETURN  TO   PARIS 

came  back  considered  the  place  as  an  employment 
bureau.  We  had  no  business  with  this  Commission 
as  we  did  not  figure  on  the  list  of  emigres.  It  was 
necessary,  however,  to  have  erased  from  this  Hst  the 
name  of  my  mother-in-law.  Although  she  had  resided 
for  thirty  years  in  the  Convent  of  the  Dames  An- 
giaises,  of  the  Rue  des  Fosses-Saint-Victor,  which  she 
had  never  left,  they  had,  nevertheless,  inscribed  her 
name.  The  sale  of  all  the  furniture  of  the  Chateau 
of  Tesson  and  of  two  farm  houses  had  been  the 
consequence  of  this  unjustifiable  inscription. 

One  morning  I  went  to  Malmaison.  It  was  after 
the  battle  of  Marengo.  Mme.  Bonaparte  gave  me  a 
wonderful  reception,  and  after  luncheon,  which  was 
served  in  a  charming  salle  d  manger,  she  invited  me 
to  see  her  picture  gallery.  We  were  alone  and  she 
took  advantage  of  the  occasion  to  tell  me  the  story 
of  the  origin  of  the  masterpieces  which  the  gallery 
contained.  This  fine  picture  had  been  presented  to 
her  by  the  Pope;  two  others  had  been  given  her  by 
Canova;  the  city  of  Milan  had  offered  her  this 
picture  and  that.  Having  a  great  admiration  for  the 
conqueror  of  Marengo,  I  should  have  esteemed  Mme. 
Bonaparte  more  highly  if  she  had  told  me  that  all 
these  masterpieces  had  been  conquered  at  the  point 
of  his  sword.  The  good  woman  was  naturally  a  liar. 
Even  when  the  simple  truth  would  have  been  more 
interesting  and  more  piquant  than  a  lie,  she  would 
have  preferred  to  lie. 

Mme.  de  Stael  had  given  up  her  house.  Her  husband 
had  returned  to  Sweden,  where  he  died  two  years 

[315] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

later.  After  having  settled  in  a  small  apartment,  she 
was  preparing  to  go  to  join  her  father  at  Coppet. 
Bonaparte  could  not  endure  her,  although  she  tried 
in  every  way  to  please  him.  I  think  that  she  never 
went  to  see  Mme.  Bonaparte.  One  day,  however,  I 
met  Josephine  Bonaparte  in  her  salon.  She  received 
people  of  all  the  regimes.  The  emigres,  returned  to 
France,  mingled  at  her  house  with  the  former  partisans 
of  the  Directory. 


C316] 


J 


CHAPTER  TEN 

1800-1808 

LIFE  AT  LE   BOUILH 

Sale  of  the  Paris  House. —  Departure  for  Le  Bouilh. —  Life 
There. —  Education  of  Mile,  de  Lally. —  Establishment  of 
the  Empire. —  Birth  of  Aymar. —  Marriage  of  Mile,  de 
Lally  and  Henri  d'Aux. 

FINALLY  about  the  month  of  September,  we 
decided  to  leave  for  Le  Bouilh.  About  three 
years  before  we  had  sold  our  house  in  Paris 
at  a  very  low  price.  It  was  situated  in  a  bad  quarter, 
the  Rue  du  Bac.  I  no  longer  remember  the  disposition 
which  my  husband  made  of  the  proceeds  of  this  sale. 
On  his  return  he  found  the  affairs  of  his  father,  as 
well  as  his  own,  in  such  great  disorder,  and  he  was 
so  unfortunate  in  everything  he  undertook,  that  in 
spite  of  his  intelligence  and  his  capacity,  he  did  not 
seem  to  succeed  in  anything.  My  husband  set  out 
alone  for  Tesson,  and  I  engaged  a  driver  who  took 
me  home  by  short  journeys  in  a  large  carriage  which 
held  besides  myself,  my  son,  my  two  daughters,  the 
instructor,  Monsieur  de  Calonne,  and  my  maid. 
Marguerite. 

We  finally  arrived  at  Le  Bouilh  where  I  was  happy 
to  be  once  more.  I  had  great  need  of  repose.  An 
excellent  girl  whom  I  had  left  there  had  taken  care 
of  everything  in  good  shape.  My  husband  arrived  a 

C317] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

few  days  later,  and  we  finally  found  ourselves  all 
reunited  in  our  home. 

My  husband  devoted  himself  to  agriculture  and 
the  education  of  his  son,  in  which  I  assisted  in  order 
that  he  should  not  forget  his  English.  Humbert  was 
then  ten  and  a  half  years  of  age,  while  Charlotte 
was  four  and  Cecile  six  months.  My  excellent 
maid.  Marguerite,  devoted  herself  with  as  much 
attention  and  tenderness  to  the  dear  children  as  I 
did  myself. 

A  short  time  after  our  arrival  at  Le  Bouilh,  a 
cousin  of  my  husband,  Mme.  de  Maurville,  came  to 
stay  with  us.  She  had  lost  all  the  property  which 
she  possessed  in  France  and  her  principal  resource 
was  a  pension  of  forty  pounds  sterling,  paid  to  her  by 
the  English  government.  This  had  been  given  her 
as  the  widow  of  a  general  officer  of  the  French 
Marine,  who  had  taken  service  with  England,  a 
thing  which  I  may  say  in  passing  was  very  villainous. 
Mme.  de  Maurville  was  very  fond  of  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin.  She  was  four  years  older  than  he 
and  had  known  him  since  his  childhood.  She  was 
very  happy  to  be  with  us. 

Mme.  d'Henin  came  to  Le  Bouilh  on  several  oc- 
casions during  the  eight  years  we  resided  there.  At 
the  time  of  her  first  visit,  which  lasted  several  months, 
she  brought  Elisa,  the  daughter  of  Monsieur  de 
Lally,  who  had  just  left  the  school  of  Mme.  Campan. 
I  was  asked  to  undertake  finishing  her  education. 
Mile,  de  Lally  at  that  time  was  fifteen  years  of  age, 
and  I  received  her  with  pleasure.  She  v/as  a  sweet, 

C318] 


LIFE  AT  LE   BOUILH 

good  child,  quite  well  grounded  in  orthography, 
music  and  dancing,  while  the  cultivation  of  her  mind 
had  been  almost  completely  neglected.  I  looked  at 
the  mission  which  had  been  confided  to  me  as  a 
heavy  charge  and  a  great  responsibility  to  take. 
Nevertheless,  my  husband  urged  me  to  accept  and 
his  wish  for  me  was  a  law  against  which  the  thought 
of  resisting  never  occurred  to  me.  As  we  were  not  in 
a  state  of  fortune  easily  to  increase  our  expenses,  my 
aunt  arranged  that  Monsieur  de  Lally  should  pay 
us,  as  pension  for  his  daughter,  a  sum  equivalent  to 
that  which  he  had  paid  for  her  with  Mme.  Campan. 
To  accept  such  a  condition  seemed  to  me  a  backward 
step  on  our  part,  nevertheless,  we  submitted.  Besides 
this,  Monsieur  de  Lally  undertook  the  charge  of  pay- 
ing the  personal  expenses  of  his  daughter.  Elisa  had 
no  ground  to  complain  of  these  arrangements,  and 
I  am  able  to  say  that  we  also  had  no  reason  to  regret 
them.  In  assuming  the  education  of  Mile,  de  Lally, 
I  was  only  doing  what  it  was  necessary  for  me  to 
undertake  later  on  with  my  own  daughters.  My  hus- 
band, for  his  part,  undertook  to  teach  her  history 
and  geography.  I  took  charge  of  the  English  lessons, 
and  the  instructor  of  my  son  gave  her  lessons  in 
Italian.  Our  reading  aloud  was  also  of  benefit  to  her. 
She  was  very  fond  of  my  children,  especially  of 
Cecile  whose  first  education  she  began. 

We  were  preoccupied,  my  husband  and  I,  with  the 
future  of  our  children,  and  this  was  not  the  least  of 
the  disquietudes  which  the  bad  state  of  our  affairs 
caused  us.  The  estate  of  Le  Bouilh,  reduced  to  its 
bare  land  value,  represented  very  little.  The  war  with 

C319] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

England  had  reduced  the  price  of  wines  to  almost 
nothing,  especially  white  wines,  already  at  this 
time  of  little  value  in  our  part  of  the  country.  This 
wine  could  then  be  bought  at  from  four  to  five 
francs  a  barrel.  My  husband  installed  an  equip- 
ment for  making  eau-de-vie  and  went  to  quite  heavy 
expense  to  put  this  apparatus  in  working  order. 
But  the  profits  from  this  commerce  permitted  us 
at  least  to  live.  Soon  it  was  necessary  for  us  to 
think  of  the  future  of  our  son,  which  was  our  prin- 
cipal concern. 

My  aunt  and  Monsieur  de  Lally  wrote  us  from 
Paris  that  all  the  persons  whom  we  had  formerly 
known  had  rallied  to  the  government.  The  Concordat 
had  just  been  published  and  the  reestablishment  of 
religion  had  a  prodigious  effect  in  the  provinces. 
Until  this  moment,  divine  services  were  only  held  in 
private  rooms,  if  not  entirely  in  secret,  and  the 
priests  were  almost  always  returned  emigres.  There 
was  therefore  universal  joy  when  Monsieur  d'Aviau 
de  Sanzai,  a  man  highly  esteemed,  was  appointed 
Archbishop  at  Bordeaux.  We  had  the  honor  of  enter- 
taining him  at  Le  Bouilh  during  the  first  two  days 
which  followed  his  taking  possession  of  the  diocese. 
We  brought  together  to  receive  him  all  the  good 
cures  of  our  former  estate  which  comprised  nineteen 
parishes.  The  greater  part,  recently  appointed,  had 
returned  from  foreign  countries.  Others  had  been 
concealed  with  their  parishioners  or  in  private 
houses.  Our  Archbishop  was  adored  by  all  and  his 
entry  into  Bordeaux  was  a  triumph.  The  gratitude 
which  all  felt  went  out  to  the  great  man  who  held 

C320] 


1763    -    1814 


LIFE  AT  LK   HOllLH 

the  reins  of  government.  When  he  proclaimed  himself 
Consul  for  Life,  this  gratitude  was  shown  by  the 
almost  unanimous  apj)robation  of  those  who  were 
called  upon  to  vote  uj)on  this  proposition. 

A  little  later  there  appeared  in  the  communes  the 
lists  upon  which  it  was  necessary  for  the  voters  to 
inscribe  their  names  and  respond  by  "yes"  or  "no" 
to  the  question  as  to  whether  the  Consul  for  Life 
should  be  proclaimed  Emperor. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  was  in  a  state  of  great 
indecision  before  he  decided  to  write  "yes"  ui)on  the 
list  at  Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac.  I  saw  him  walk  up 
and  down  alone  in  the  garden,  but  I  did  not  try  to 
penetrate  his  thoughts.  Finally  one  evening  he  entered 
and  I  learned  with  pleasure  that  he  had  just  written 
"yes"  as  a  result  of  his  reflections. 

In  1805,  I  went  with  Elisa  de  Lally  to  pass  some 
time  at  Bordeaux.  One  day  at  mass  Elisa  was  ob- 
served by  a  young  man,  the  most  distinguished  in 
Bordeaux,  by  birth,  face  and  fortune:  Monsieur 
Henri  d'Aux.  Elisa  was  very  small,  but  she  had  a 
superb  head  of  black  hair,  very  brilliant  color,  the 
freshness  of  a  rose  and  the  handsomest  eyes  in  the 
world.  Our  friend  Brouquens,  after  the  loss  of  his 
fortune  caused  by  the  failure  of  his  company  which 
furnished  provisions  for  the  army,  had  returned  to 
take  up  his  residence  at  Bordeaux  for  an  indefinite 
time.  He  learned  through  friends  that  Monsieur 
Henri  d'Aux  had  spoken  in  terms  of  eulogy  to  certain 
of  his  comrades  of  the  young  lady  who  was  being 
brought  up  by  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  and  had 

[321  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE^  REVOLUTION 

declared  that  none  of  the  young  ladies  of  Bordeaux 
had  so  pleasant  and  agreeable  a  manner.  He  asked 
for  information  regarding  us,  our  manner  of  life  and 

so  on. 

My  husband  who  had  been  named  President  of 
the  Canton,  without  having  solicited  the  office,  had 
gone  to  Paris  for  the  coronation.  I  wrote  him  of  the 
gossip  which  had  been  reported  to  me  and  he  spoke 
of  it  to  Monsieur  de  Lally.  The  latter  was  then  taken 
up  with  the  endeavor  to  secure  the  repayment  of 
quite  a  large  sum  of  money  which  the  State  owed 
him  since  the  rehabilitation  of  his  father  and  the 
cancellation  of  his  death  penalty,  that  is  to  say, 
since  three  years  before  the  Revolution.  This  in- 
debtedness of  the  State  had  been  recognized  as  valid 
by  the  Council  of  State,  but  the  sum  having 
been  reduced  two  thirds,  like  all  the  Funds,  did  not 
amount  to  more  than  100,000  francs.  Napoleon,  who 
desired  to  rally  Monsieur  de  Lally  to  his  government, 
wished  that  the  reclamation  should  be  entirely 
successful.  When  my  husband  spoke  to  Monsieur 
de  Lally  of  the  contents  of  my  letter,  he  declared 
without  hesitation  that  if  he  received  this  sum  he 
would  give  it  to  his  daughter  the  day  of  her  marriage. 
You  will  see  how  he  kept  his  word.  We  arranged  to 
go  to  Bordeaux  for  the  Carnival  season  in  order  to 
give  Monsieur  d'Aux  the  chance  of  seeing  Elisa  at 
the  balls  which  were  given  in  the  salons  of  the 
former  Intendance. 

About  this  time  I  had  the  great  sorrow  of  losing 
our  dear  maid.  Marguerite,  whom  I  loved  as  a 
mother.  This  caused  me  very  sincere  grief. 

[322] 


LIFE  AT  LE   BOLILH 

My  husband  had  seen  at  Paris  several  persons  of 
his  acquaintance,  all  of  whom  had  entered  the  service 
of  the  government,  among  them,  Monsieur  Maret, 
afterwards  Due  de  Bassano.  They  urged  him  to 
attempt  to  obtain  some  employment.  Without  ex- 
actly refusing,  he  replied  that  if  the  Emperor  wished 
to  have  his  services,  he  well  knew  where  he  could 
find  him  and  that  the  role  of  solicitor  did  not  please 
him.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  could  not  comprehend 
reluctance  of  this  kind,  but  he  felt,  nevertheless,  in 
his  mind  rather  than  his  heart,  that  there  was  a  sort 
of  distinction  in  not  mingling  with  the  crowd  of 
solicitors.  He  only  said,  shrugging  his  shoulders: 
"Cela  viendra,"  and  then  he  thought  no  more  about 
it. 

My  husband  returned  to  Le  Bouilh.  He  had  seen 
Monsieur  Malouet  who  had  just  been  named  Prcfet 
Maritime  at  Antwerp,  in  charge  of  the  large  ship- 
yards there  to  which  he  gave  so  tremendous  an 
impetus.  These  gentlemen  had  come  to  an  under- 
standing that  when  Humbert  was  seventeen  years 
of  age  he  should  receive  a  position  in  the  office  of 
Monsieur  Malouet.  The  Institution  des  Auditeurs  of 
the  Council  of  State  was  not  then  in  existence.  They 
had  commenced,  however,  to  talk  of  it,  and  we  were 
of  the  opinion  that  it  would  be  useful  for  a  young 
man  who  was  destined  for  business  to  work  for  a 
time  under  the  eyes  of  a  man  as  keen  and  as  compe- 
tent as  Monsieur  Malouet.  As  he  had  much  friend- 
ship for  us,  we  could  intrust  our  son  to  him  with 
entire  confidence.  The  thought  of  this  separation, 
nevertheless,  weighed  heavily  on  my  heart. 

C323  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

The  eighteenth  of  October,  1806,  as  I  was  dressing 
in  the  morning,  I  saw  passing  on  the  terrace  our 
good  doctor  Dupouy,  who  had  been  at  Le  Bouilh  for 
several  days.  I  asked  him  laughingly  where  he  had 
come  from  so  early  in  the  morning.  He  replied  that 
he  had  just  been  to  report  the  death  of  one  of  our 
neighbors  who  had  passed  away  suddenly  in  getting 
up  that  morning.  I  knew  this  person  very  well  and 
had  had  a  long  talk  with  her  only  the  evening  before. 
This  event  upset  me  to  such  a  degree  that  that  very 
morning  I  gave  birth  to  my  youngest  son,  Aymar,  the 
only  one  of  my  children  who  is  living  at  this  writing. 

In  the  meantime,  we  had  not  lost  sight  of  the  im- 
portant affair  of  the  marriage  of  Elisa.  Under  pretext 
of  having  our  baby  vaccinated,  we  went,  about 
Christmas  time,  to  pass  six  weeks  at  Bordeaux  with 
our  excellent  friend  Brouquens.  He  had  succeeded  in 
winning  to  our  side  Monsieur  de  Marbotin  de 
Couteneuil,  former  Counsellor  of  Parlement,  the 
uncle  of  Monsieur  d'Aux.  His  wife  having  been  the 
sister  of  the  mother  of  Monsieur  d'Aux,  this  young 
man,  after  the  death  of  his  mother,  which  happened 
a  long  time  before,  felt  towards  his  aunt  a  real  filial 
affection.  Monsieur  de  Couteneuil  desired  to  reenter 
the  Judicature,  and  Monsieur  de  Lally  was  under- 
stood to  have  good  standing  with  the  government. 
This  was  another  reason  which  led  Monsieur  de 
Couteneuil  to  favor  the  marriage  of  his  nephew. 
Besides  this,  pride  apart,  we  enjoyed  such  considera- 
tion at  Bordeaux  that  a  person  admitted  into  our 
family  life  would  have  a  certain  standing. 

The  young  people  met  at  several  balls.  They  also 

C324] 


LIFE  AT   LK    1U)1  llJl 

met  on  the  street  and  at  church,  where  we  were 
always  sure  to  see  Monsieur  d'Aux.  P^inally,  one 
day,  Mme.  de  Couteneuil  presented  herself  ofticially 
at  my  house  to  ask  for  the  hand  of  the  young  lady 
for  her  nephew.  As  a  good  old  diplomatist,  I  replied 
that  I  was  ignorant  of  the  plans  of  Monsieur  de 
Lally  for  his  daughter,  but  that  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  would  go  to  see  him  at  Le  Bouilh  where 
he  was  at  the  moment  and  present  the  proposition 
to  him. 

My  husband  went  there  as  arranged  and  returned 
the  following  day  with  Monsieur  de  Lally.  All  was 
soon  arranged.  Then  followed  the  congratulations, 
the  dinners,  the  evening  entertainments.  We  received 
a  call  from  the  aged  father  of  Monsieur  d'Aux.  He 
was  a  gentleman  of  the  olden  days,  without  the 
least  vestige  of  intelligence  or  instruction.  It  was 
said  that  he  had  bored  his  wife  to  death.  This  did 
not  prevent  him,  however,  from  possessing  more  than 
60,000  francs  of  income. 

The  day  of  the  signature  of  the  contract.  Monsieur 
de  Lally  counted  out  for  Monsieur  d'Aux,  as  he  had 
agreed,  100  bags  of  1000  francs,  representing  the 
dot  of  his  daughter.  It  was  the  only  time  in  my  life 
that  I  ever  saw  so  much  money  at  one  time. 

The  marriage  took  place  at  Le  Bouilh  the  first  of 
April,  1807.  At  this  season  there  were  no  flowers 
except  little  pink  and  white  marguerites.  Mme.  de 
Maurville,  Charlotte  and  I  constructed  a  charming 
epergne  for  the  dinner,  the  bottom  of  which  was  of 
moss  with  the  names  of  Henri  and  Elisa  written  in 
flowers. 

C325  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

All  these  preliminaries  and  the  marriage  itself  had 
very  much  upset  me  and  taken  me  out  of  my  tranquil 
and  regular  habits.  I  was,  therefore,  very  glad  to 
return  home  to  enjoy  the  last  months  which  my  son 
was  to  pass  with  us.  My  aunt  and  Monsieur  de  Lally 
returned  to  Paris,  and  I  remained  alone  with  Mme. 
de  Maurville. 


[326] 


CHAPTER   ELEVEN 

1808 

THE    EMPEROR    AT    BORDEAUX 

Humbert  Leaves  for  Antwerp. —  Grief  over  the  Separation. — 
Visit  of  the  Emperor  to  Bordeaux. —  His  Passage  of  the 
River  at  Cubzac. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Summoned  to 
Bordeaux. —  The  Court  Assembly. —  Presentation  to  the 
Emperor. —  The  Salon  of  the  Empress. —  Her  Entourage. — 
Strict  Rules  for  Her  Days  Dictated  by  the  Emperor. — 
Anxiety  of  Josephine  over  the  Rumors  of  her  Divorce. — 
A  Note  from  the  Emperor. —  Departure  of  the  Empress. — 
Return  to  Le  Bouilh. —  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Ap- 
pointed Prefet  at  Brussels. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
Dame  d'Honneur  of  the  Queen  of  Spain.- — ■  Presentation  to 
the  Queen. —  The  Prince  de  La  Paix. —  Departure  of  the 
Spanish  Sovereigns. 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  the  summer,  or  to 
speak  in  agricultural  terms  immediately- 
after  the  harvest  of  the  grapes  {vc7idanges)y 
it  was  necessary  for  me  to  be  separated  for  the  first 
time  from  my  dear  son  Humbert.  He  set  out  uith 
his  father  who  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Paris. 

Bordeaux  was  very  much  taken  up  with  the  affairs 
of  Spain,  and  several  refugees  from  that  country  had 
already  arrived  there.  My  aunt  wrote  us  from  Paris 
that  the  Emperor  was  to  go  to  Spain,  accompanied 
perhaps  by  the  Empress  Josephine,  and  that  Mon- 
sieur de  Bassano  would  form  part  of  his  suite.  She 

C327] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

advised  her  nephew  to  pay  his  court  to  the  Emperor 
and  to  see  Monsieur  de  Bassano,  who  was  interested 
in  him.  My  husband  received  this  letter  at  the  mo- 
ment when  he  was  setting  out  on  horseback  for 
Tesson.  A  matter  of  business  absolutely  claimed  his 
presence  there.  In  leaving  he  said  that  he  would  be 
gone  only  two  days  and  that  he  had  plenty  of  time 
to  go  and  return.  The  very  next  day  the  order  was 
received  at  the  posting  station  to  prepare  horses 
for  the  Emperor.  This  news  filled  me  with  despair, 
but  I  was  none  the  less  anxious  to  see  this  extraor- 
dinary man. 

Mme.  de  Maurville,  my  daughter  Charlotte  and  I 
went  to  Cubzac  resolved  not  to  return  before  we  had 
seen  Napoleon.  We  demanded  hospitality  from  Ribet, 
the  Grand  Commissionnaire  de  Transport  who  knew 
us  and  who  installed  us  in  a  room  looking  out  on  the 
port.  The  brigantine  destined  for  the  passage  of  the 
Dordogne  was  already  there  with  the  sailors  at  their 
posts.  The  whole  population  of  the  country  lined 
the  road;  the  peasants,  while  cursing  the  man  who 
took  their  children  to  send  them  away  to  war,  wished 
to  see  him  nevertheless.  A  first  courier  arrived. 
People  tried  to  question  him.  General  Drouet  d'Erlon, 
the  Commander  of  the  Department,  asked  him  when 
the  Emperor  would  arrive.  The  man  was  so  fatigued 
that  the  only  response  they  could  get  from  him  was 
the  word:  "Passons."  His  horse  was  saddled,  he 
accompanied  it  on  the  boat,  then  fell  at  the  bottom 
of  the  boat  like  a  dead  man  and  it  was  necessary  to 
rouse  him  and  put  him  on  his  horse  at  the  other  side 
of  the  river.  After  the  passage  of  the  courier,  our  Im- 

C328] 


THE   EMPEROR   AT    BORDEAUX 

patience  was  very  great.  As  for  myself,  I  was  taken 
up  with  the  fatality  which  kept  my  husband  far 
from  the  place  where  his  functions  demanded  his 
presence.  The  municipality  of  Cubzac  was  present, 
and  he,  the  President  of  the  Canton,  whose  place  was 
there,  was  absent.  It  was  an  occasion  lost  which 
might  not  return.  I  felt  very  much  put  out.  Finally, 
after  a  wait  which  lasted  the  entire  day,  towards 
evening,  a  first  carriage  arrived  and  a  little  later 
a  berline  with  eight  horses  escorted  by  a  picket  of 
cavalry  stopped  under  the  window  where  we  were. 
The  Emperor  descended,  dressed  in  the  uniform  of 
chasseur  de  la  garde.  Two  chamberlains,  one  of 
whom  was  Monsieur  de  Barral,  and  an  aide  de  camp 
accompanied  him.  The  Mayor  paid  his  compliments. 
The  Emperor  listened  with  an  air  of  great  boredom, 
then  entered  the  brigantine  which  immediately  set 
out.  This  was  all  we  saw  of  the  great  man.  We  re- 
turned to  Le  Bouilh,  all  three  of  us,  tired  out  and 
in  bad  humor. 

The  next  da}'^  my  husband  arrived.  I  gave  him 
only  time  to  eat  his  breakfast  and  then  forced  him 
to  set  out  for  Bordeaux,  where  the  Empress  was  ex- 
pected the  next  day.  Immediately  on  his  arrival,  he 
went  to  see  Monsieur  Maret,  who  professed  for  him 
much  friendship  and  interest.  He  found  him  kind 
and  obliging,  but  what  was  his  astonishment  when 
Monsieur  de  Maret  said  to  him: 

*' You  have  felt  much  annoyance  over  the  necessity 
of  going  to  Tesson,  exactly  at  the  time  that  the 
Emperor  was  passing  your  home,  and  you  have 
shown  great  diligence  in  returning.'* 

[329] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

"You  have  then  seen  Brouquens,"  replied  Mon- 
sieur de  La  Tour  du  Pin. 

"No." 

"But,  then  how  do  you  know  all  that?" 

"The  Emperor  told  me." 

You  can  imagine  how  much  my  husband  was 
surprised. 

"Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  should  come  to  Bor- 
deaux," added  Monsieur  Maret.  "She  should  remain 
here  during  the  time  of  the  sojourn  of  the  Empress. 
There  will  be  an  Assembly  tomorrow  and  the  Emperor 
wishes  that  she  should  be  present." 

My  husband  immediately  sent  a  carriage  for  me, 
for  it  was  not  a  time  to  hesitate.  I  had  several  dresses 
at  Bordeaux,  made  at  the  time  that  I  was  taking 
Elisa  to  the  balls  and  evening  entertainments  given 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  but  among  these  there 
was  no  black  dress,  and  the  Court  was  in  mourning. 
The  Assembly  was  for  eight  o'clock,  and  it  was  al- 
ready five.  Fortunately,  I  had  a  pretty  robe  of  gray 
satin.  I  added  several  dark  ornaments,  the  good 
coiffeur  arranged  some  black  ribbons  in  my  hair, 
and  this  seemed  to  me  very  appropriate  for  a  woman 
of  thirty-eight,  who  can  say,  without  vanity,  that 
she  did  not  have  the  air  of  being  more  than  thirty. 
The  reunion  was  in  the  large  salle  d  manger  of  the 
palace.  I  knew  very  few  persons  at  Bordeaux.  Sixty 
or  eighty  ladies  were  present.  We  were  arranged 
according  to  a  list  read  aloud  by  the  chamberlain. 
Monsieur  de  Beam.  He  enjoined  us  that  no  one  was 
to  leave  her  place  under  any  pretext,  as  otherwise 
it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  find  the  name  to 

[  330] 


THE   EMPEROR  AT   BORDEAUX 

give  to  each  person.  This  sort  of  military  manoeuvre 
had  hardly  been  arranged  when  a  loud  voice  an- 
nounced: "L'Empereur!"  which  caused  my  heart  to 
beat.  He  began  at  the  end  of  the  line  and  addressed 
a  word  to  each  lady.  As  he  approached  the  place 
where  I  was  standing,  the  chamberlain  said  a  word 
in  his  ear.  He  fixed  his  eyes  on  me,  smiling  graciously, 
and  when  my  turn  came  he  said  to  me  laughing,  in 
a  familiar  tone,  while  he  regarded  me  from  head  to 
foot: 

"Why,  you  are  not  then  afflicted  over  the  death 
of  the  King  of  Denmark.?" 

**Not  sufficiently.  Sire,"  I  replied,  ''to  sacrifice  the 
pleasure  of  being  presented  to  your  Majesty.  I  had 
no  black  dress." 

"Oh,  that  is  an  excellent  reason."  And  then  he 
added:  "You  were  in  the  country!" 

Speaking  then  to  the  lady  beside  me,  he  said: 
"Your  name,  Madame.'*"  She  stammered  and  he  did 
not  comprehend. 

"Montesquieu,"  I  said. 

"Ah,  really,  that  is  a  fine  name  to  have.  I  went 
this  morning  to  La  Brede  to  see  the  cabinet  of 
Montesquieu." 

The  poor  woman  replied,  thinking  that  she  had 
found  a  fine  inspiration: 

"C'est  un  bon  citoyen." 

This  word  "citoyen"  displeased  the  Emperor.  He 
gave  Mme.  de  Montesquieu,  with  his  eagle  eyes,  a 
look  which  would  have  terrified  her  if  she  had  under- 
stood, and  replied  very  brusquely: 

"Mais  non,  c'etait  un  grand  homme,"  and  then 

[331  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


shrugging  his  shoulders  he  looked  at  me,  as  if  to  say: 
*'Que  cette  femme  est  bete!" 

The  Empress  followed  at  some  distance  behind  the 
Emperor  and  the  ladies  were  named  to  her  in  the 
same  order.  But  before  she  arrived  at  my  place,  a 
valet  de  chambre  came  to  request  me  to  go  to  the 
salon  to  await  Her  Majesty.  When  the  Empress 
entered  the  salon,  she  showed  herself  very  amiable 
for  me  and  for  my  husband,  whom  she  had  also 
summoned.  She  expressed  the  desire  to  see  me  every 
evening  during  her  sojourn  at  Bordeaux,  and  then 
began  to  play  backgammon  with  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin.  They  served  tea  and  ices.  I  was  still  in 
hopes  of  seeing  the  Emperor  again,  and  my  disap- 
pointment was  great  when  I  learned  that  upon  the 
arrival  of  a  courier  from  Bayonne,  he  had  immediately 
left  Bordeaux  to  go  there. 

The  Emperor,  having  all  Spain  and  all  Europe  on 
his  hands,  to  use  the  common  expression,  had  never- 
theless the  time  to  dictate  the  order  of  the  day  of  the 
Empress,  in  the  most  minute  detail,  even  to  the 
toilettes  which  she  was  to  wear.  She  would  neither 
have  wished  nor  dared  to  change  this  in  the  slightest 
particular,  unless  she  was  sick  in  bed.  I  learned  from 
Mme.  Maret  that  the  Emperor  had  ordered  that  we 
should  come,  my  husband  and  I,  every  day  to  pass 
the  evening,  which  we  did. 

However,  the  poor  Empress  was  beginning  to  be 
cruelly  disturbed  over  the  rumors  of  divorce  which 
were  already  being  circulated.  She  spoke  of  it  to 
Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  who  reassured  her  as 
well  as  possible.  He  endeavored  to  stop  the  confi- 

C332] 


THE   EMPEROR   AT   BORDEAUX 

dences  which  the  imprudent  and  light-headed  Jo- 
sephine seemed  disposed  to  make  to  him,  and  which 
it  seemed  to  him  indiscreet  to  hear.  She  was  much 
turned  against  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  whom  she 
accused  of  urging  the  Emperor  to  obtain  a  divorce. 
No  one  was  better  aware  of  this  fact  than  my  husband, 
for  he  had  talked  the  matter  over  with  him  during 
the  trip  he  made  to  Paris,  but  he  took  care  not  to  let 
Josephine  know  this.  Accustomed  to  the  adulation 
of  some,  the  deception  of  others,  she  found  great 
relief  in  talking  with  my  husband  and  opened  her 
heart  to  him  on  a  subject  which  she  had  not  dared  to 
broach  to  any  persons  of  her  entourage.  She  was  very 
desirous  of  leaving  for  Bayonne  and  demanded  every 
day  ofOrdener:"When  do  we  go.'' "  to  which  he  replied 
with  his  German  accent :  *'  Indeed,  I  do  not  yet  know." 

One  evening  I  was  seated  beside  the  Empress  at 
the  tea  table  when  she  received  a  note  of  several  lines 
from  the  Emperor.  Leaning  towards  me  she  said  very 
low:  "He  writes  like  a  cat.  I  cannot  read  this  last 
phrase."  At  the  same  time  she  handed  me  the  note, 
while  putting  her  finger  upon  her  lips  as  a  sign  of 
mystery.  I  had  only  the  time  to  read  several  "thous" 
and  ''thees";  then  the  last  phrase  thus  worded:  'T 
have  here  the  father  and  the  son.  This  gives  me  much 
embarrassment."  Since  then  this  note  has  been  quoted 
in  a  dispatch,  but  much  amplified.  There  were  only 
five  or  six  lines  written  across  a  sheet  of  paper  which 
had  been  torn  and  folded  in  two.  If  it  w  ere  shown  to 
me  I  should  recognize  It. 

After  tea.  General  Ordener  approached  the  Empress 
and  said  to  her:  "Your  Majesty  will  leave  tomorrow 

[333  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

at  mid-day."  At  this  decision,  every  one  rejoiced.  The 
sojourn  at  Bordeaux  had  been  a  cause  of  expense  for 
me,  as  it  had  been  necessary,  during  the  ten  days, 
to  be  in  full-dress  every  evening.  I  was  crazy  to 
return  to  my  children.  Elisa,  on  account  of  her  baby, 
was  not  able  to  come  to  see  the  Empress,  to  her  great 
regret.  She  had  been  present  only  at  the  Assembly 
where  she  received  a  very  flattering  reception.  Her 
husband  had  entered  the  mounted  Guard  of  Honor 
which  was  composed  of  all  the  most  distinguished 
young  men  of  Bordeaux. 

We  returned  accordingly  to  Le  Bouilh,  and  not- 
withstanding the  fine  reception  from  the  distinguished 
personages  whom  we  had  seen  at  Bordeaux,  we  enter- 
tained only  small  hopes  for  the  future.  How  could  I 
believe  indeed  that  a  man  averse  to  all  intrigue, 
unknown,  so  to  speak,  to  those  in  power,  since  he 
had  not  mingled  in  any  of  the  events  for  the  past 
few  years,  living  retired  at  his  chateau,  in  a  retreat 
all  the  more  profound,  because  he  was  almost  without 
fortune,  how  could  I  suppose,  I  say,  that  he  should 
have  attracted  the  eye  of  the  eagle  who  was  the 
master  of  the  destinies  of  France!  My  husband  had 
remained  at  Bordeaux  to  finish  some  business,  and  I 
was  seated  beside  my  lamp,  talking  with  my  poor 
cousin,  Mme.  Joseph  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  whom  we 
had  received  at  our  house  through  kindness.  At  this 
moment,  as  nine  o'clock  was  striking,  a  peasant  sent 
expressly  from  Bordeaux  arrived  with  a  note  from 
my  husband  in  which  were  written  only  these  words: 
"I  am  Prefect  of  Brussels,  of  Brussels  only  ten  leagues 
from  Antwerp!" 

C334] 


THE   EMPEROR   AT   BORDEAUX 

I  admit  that  I  experienced  a  great  joy  in  which  the 
thought  of  again  seeing  my  son  touched  me  above  all. 

Monsieur  Maret  was  ignorant  of  the  vacancy  in 
this  prefecture.  The  papers  of  the  Minister  of  the 
Interior  arrived  at  Bayonne,  exactly  as  if  he  had 
been  present  at  the  Tuiicries  or  at  Saint-Cloud,  for 
nothing  was  allowed  to  change  the  habits  of  the 
Emperor.  He  was  upsetting  the  Spanish  monarchy 
and  sending  to  prison  or  into  exile  the  two  Kings, 
father  and  son.  This  gave  him  "much  embarrass- 
ment," as  I  had  read  written  in  his  own  hand,  but 
in  spite  of  that,  when  the  work  of  the  Minister  ar- 
rived, he  read,  rectified  and  changed  the  nominations. 
Prejecture  de  La  Dyle:  a  name  is  proposed  for  this 
post.  He  takes  his  pen,  erases  it,  and  writes  above  it 
La  Tour  dii  Pin.  That  is  what  we  learned  later  from 
Monsieur  Maret,  who  never  raised  any  objection, 
but  who  also  never  made  any  proposition.  He  was  a 
very  useful  machine. 

My  son  was  at  Antwerp,  seated  at  his  desk  as 
secretary  to  Monsieur  Malouet,  when  he  saw  the 
latter  running  across  the  court.  Never  had  any  one 
seen  Monsieur  Malouet,  the  most  dignified  of  men, 
hasten  his  pace  for  any  reason  whatsoever.  On  enter- 
ing he  cried:  "Your  father  is  Prefet  of  Brussels!" 
Dear  Humbert,  how  great  was  his  joy! 

Several  days  before  the  departure  of  my  husband 
from  Le  Bouilh  to  go  to  Brussels,  I  received  a  courier, 
in  great  haste,  from  our  friend  Brouquens,  who  an- 
nounced that  he  had  sent  a  carriage  to  Cubzac.  He 
informed  me  at  the  same  time  that  King  Charles  IV 
of  Spain  and  his  unworthy  wife  were  to  arrive  at 

[335  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Bordeaux  at  the  Palace  and  that  the  Emperor  had 
given  orders  that  I  should  serve  as  Lady  of  Honor 
to  the  Queen  during  her  sojourn  at  Bordeaux,  which 
would  be  for  two  or  three  days.  Fortunately,  all  my 
ceremonial  costumes  were  still  with  Monsieur  de 
Brouquens.  My  packing  was  therefore  soon  finished. 
My  husband  accompanied  me  and  we  set  out.  Arrived 
at  Bordeaux,  I  dressed  hastily  and  went  to  the  Palace 
where  Their  Spanish  Majesties  had  just  arrived.  On 
entering  the  salon  I  found  some  gentlemen  of  my 
acquaintance  who  cried:  "Come  at  once,  we  are 
awaiting  you  for  dinner!"  This  was  very  agreeable 
to  me  for  I  had  taken  only  a  cup  of  tea  before  leaving. 

The  King  and  Queen  had  retired  to  their  own  apart- 
ment with  the  Prince  de  la  Paix.  I  met  Monsieur 
d'Audenarde  and  Monsieur  Dumanoir,  the  one 
ecuyer,  the  other  chamberlain  of  the  Emperor,  a  few 
others,  and  two  or  three  Spaniards  whose  names  I 
did  not  know  and  who  did  not  speak  French.  We 
immediately  sat  down  to  dinner.  These  gentlemen 
told  me  that  two  other  Ladles  of  Honor  had  been 
named,  one  of  whom  was  Elisa  d'Aux,  and  I  was 
charged  to  notify  them  to  be  at  the  Palace  the  next 
day  at  mid-day.  The  next  day  at  eleven  o'clock,  I 
went  to  the  Palace,  and  Monsieur  Dumanoir  re- 
quested to  enter  the  Queen's  apartment  to  present 
me.  Turning  to  me  before  opening  the  door,  he  said: 
"Don't  laugh!"  This  of  course  gave  me  a  desire  to, 
and,  In  truth,  there  was  sufficient  reason.  There  I 
saw  the  most  surprising  and  unexpected  spectacle. 

La  reine  d'Espagne  se  tenait  au  milieu  de  la 
chambre  devant  une  grande  psyche.  On  la  la^alt.  Elle 

C336] 


THE   EMPEROR   AT   BORDEAUX 

avait  pour  tout  vetement  une  j)ctite  juj)e  de  percale 
tres  etroite  et  tres  courte,  ct  sur  la  poitrinc  (la  jjIus 
seche,  la  plus  dccharnee,  la  plus  noire  que  Ton  put 
voir)  un  mouchoir  de  gaze.  Sur  ses  cheveux  gris  etait 
disposee,  en  guise  de  coiffure,  une  guirlande  de  roses 
rouges  et  jaunes.  Le  reine  s'avan^a  vers  moi,  la 
femme  de  chambre  la  la^ant  toujours,  en  operant  ces 
mouvements  de  corps  que  Ton  fait  quand  on  veut, 
en  termes  de  toilette,  se  retirer  de  son  corset. 

Near  her  was  the  King,  and  several  other  men 
whom  I  did  not  know.  The  Queen  demanded  of 
Monsieur  Dumanoir: 

"Who  is  that  lady?" 

He  told  her. 

"What  is  her  name?"  she  said. 

He  repeated  it,  and  the  Queen  addressed  several 
words  in  Spanish  to  the  King  who  replied  by  saying 
that  I  was,  or  that  my  name  was,  very  noble.  Then 
the  Queen  finished  her  toilette  while  relating  that 
the  Empress  had  given  her  several  of  her  dresses,  as 
she  had  brought  none  from  Madrid.  This  degree  of 
degradation  gave  me  a  very  painful  impression.  The 
Sovereign  indeed  was  wearing  a  gown  of  yellow  crepe, 
lined  with  satin  of  the  same  shade,  which  I  re- 
membered having  seen  the  Empress  wear.  All  desire 
to  laugh  had  left  me;  I  was  more  inclined  to  weep. 

When  the  Queen  was  dressed,  she  dismissed  me.  I 
went  to  the  salon  where  I  found  Elisa  and  together 
we  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  authorities,  whom  I 
was  to  present  to  Her  Majesty.  At  this  moment  a 
fat  man  with  a  black  plaster  upon  his  forehead  passed 
through  the  salon.  I  recognized  him /or  the  famous 

[337] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Prince  de  la  Paix.  He  passed  impolitely  before  us 
without  saluting  and  we  both  agreed  that  neither 
his  face  nor  his  figure  justified  the  favors  which  the 
scandalous  chronicles  attributed  to  him. 

The  salons  were  then  filled  and  the  Queen  was 
notified.  I  presented  to  her,  one  by  one,  the  chiefs 
of  the  Administration,  commencing  with  the  Arch- 
bishop, to  whom  alone  she  addressed  a  word.  Mon- 
sieur Dumanoir  did  the  same  for  the  King  who 
showed  himself  more  gracious. 

The  following  day  I  made  a  visit  of  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  in  the  morning,  and  there  was  the  usual 
entertainment  in  the  evening.  The  day  after,  to  my 
great  joy,  I  learned  of  the  early  departure  of  the 
members  of  the  Royal  Family  of  Spain.  The  Prefet 
and  the  Archbishop  came  to  bid  them  adieu.  Then 
we  entered  a  carriage  to  go  to  the  passage  of  the 
river,  for  at  this  time  there  was  no  bridge.  We  found 
there  the  brigantine  all  ready,  and,  the  crossing 
efi^ectuated,  I  took  leave  of  these  unhappy  sovereigns. 
The  unfortunate  King  did  not  have  the  air  for  a 
single  Instant  of  comprehending  the  sadness  of  his 
situation.  His  attitude  was  completely  lacking  In 
dignity  and  seriousness.  During  the  passage  of  the 
river  he  had  talked  all  the  time  with  my  servant, 
who  was  on  the  deck.  He  was  a  good  German,  who 
could  hardly  believe  that  he  had  talked  with  the 
King.  He  said  to  me  afterwards:  "Mais,  Madame, 
il  n'a  done  pas  de  chagrin!" 

Such  Is  the  history  of  my  brief  functions  at  the 
Court  of  King  Charles  IV  and  of  the  Queen,  his 
horrible  wife. 

C338] 


CHAH^ER  TWELVE 

1808-lSlO 

THE   PREFECTURE   AT  BRUSSELS 

Commencement  of  a  New  Life. —  Judicious  Choice  of  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  for  the  Prefecture. —  Departure  from 
Le  Bouilh.—  Mile.  Fanny  Dillon  and  the  Prince  Pignatelli. 

—  Project  of  her  Marriage  with  General  Bertrand. —  A 
Delicate  Mission  to  the  Empress  Josephine. —  Wives  of 
the  Officers  at  Brussels. —  The  Dowager  Duchesse  d'Aren- 
berg. —  Her  Suppers. —  Her  Reception  of  Monsieur  and 
Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  A  Study  of  Brussels  Society. — 
Organization  of  the  House. —  Napoleon  Obtains  Consent 
of  Mile.  Fanny  Dillon  to  Marry  General  Bertrand. —  Eight 
Days  for  the  Marriage. —  Meeting  with  General  Bertrand. 

—  Details  of  the  Marriage  Arranged  by  the  Emperor. — 
Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Received  by  the  Emperor  at 
Saint-Cloud. —  Signature  of  the  Contract. —  Marriage  at 
Saint-Leu. —  The  Emeralds  of  Queen  Hortense. 

THIS  was  the  commencement  of  a  new  life.  I 
was  to  leave  my  garden,  my  chickens,  my 
cows,  my  flowers,  my  regular  and  tranquil 
occupations  which  suited  my  taste,  to  lead  an  en- 
tirely different  existence.  But  Providence  had  given 
me  the  desire  to  endeavor  always  to  make  the  best 
of  any  situation  in  which  I  found  myself.  It  was 
about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  as  I  have  said, 
when  I  received,  by  messenger,  the  note  from  my 
husband  announcing  his  nomination  as  Prefect  at 
Brussels.  When  he  arrived  the  following  morning  for 

[339] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

breakfast  he  found  me  already  prepared  to  discuss 
the  change  in  our  existence  and  the  arrangements 
and  plans  which  I  thought  we  should  make  in 
consequence. 

Charlotte  was  then  over  eleven  years  of  age.  Very 
advanced  for  her  age,  she  had  a  great  desire  to  be 
informed  on  all  subjects.  She  had  immediately  begun 
to  study  all  the  geographical  dictionaries  regarding 
Belgium,  to  examine  the  maps  of  the  country,  and 
when  her  father,  who  knew  her  well,  arrived  and 
questioned  her  regarding  the  department  of  the  Dyle, 
she  already  knew  all  the  statistics.  As  for  little  Cecile, 
who  was  already  a  good  musician,  at  eight  years  of  age, 
and  also  a  good  Italian  scholar,  her  first  question  was 
whether  she  would  have  a  music  teacher  at  Brussels. 

My  husband  immediately  made  all  the  necessary 
arrangements  at  Le  Bouilh,  but  unfortunately  con- 
fided his  affairs  to  a  man  in  whom  he  believed  he 
could  have  entire  confidence.  To  me  he  left  the  care 
of  closing  the  house  and  the  packing. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  had  received  an 
order  to  report  at  Paris  without  delay,  as  Monsieur 
de  Chaban,  his  predecessor,  had  already  left  Brussels 
to  go  to  organize  the  department  of  Tuscany,  which 
had  just  been  united  to  the  Empire.  Our  friend, 
Brouquens,  happier  even  than  m.y  husband  himself 
over  his  good  fortune,  came  to  pass  several  days  with 
us,  and  they  left  for  Paris  together. 

The  news  of  this  nomination  had  surprised  all 
those  who  for  a  long  time  had  solicited  favors  with- 
out obtaining  them.  Nobody  was  willing  to  believe 
that  the  Government  had  come  to  look  for  Monsieur 

[340] 


THE    PREFECTURE  AT   BRUSSELS 

de  La  Tour  du  Pin  at  his  plow,  like  Cincinnatus,  in 
order  to  give  him  the  finest  j)refecturL-  in  France. 

This  choice  was,  however,  the  most  judicious  that 
the  wonderful  foresight  of  Napoleon  could  have  made, 
and  for  the  following  reason:  Brussels  was  a  conquered 
capital  and  no  effort  had  yet  been  made  to  attach  it 
to  France.  The  seat  of  the  Court  and  of  high  society, 
it  had  been  governed  up  to  the  present  time  only  by 
obscure  and  worthless  representatives. 

Monsieur  de  Pontecoulant,  the  first  Prefet,  was 
assuredly  a  man  of  birth  and  aristocratic  leanings,  a 
former  officer  of  the  French  Guards.  His  youth  had 
been  passed  at  Versailles  and  at  Paris  and  he  would 
perhaps  have  succeeded  at  Brussels  except  for  his 
wife,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoken.  It  was  under- 
stood that  she  had  saved  his  life  during  the  Terror. 
Formerly  she  had  been  the  mistress  of  Mirabeau,  of 
whom  Lejai,  her  first  husband,  was  the  librarian.  It 
was  said  that  she  had  been  pretty,  but  If  so  she  did 
not  retain  the  slightest  vestige  of  beauty.  After  her 
marriage  with  Monsieur  de  Pontecoulant,  she  had 
been  frequently  seen  In  the  salon  of  Barras  and  this 
did  not  exactly  constitute  a  recommendation.  Taken 
to  Brussels  by  her  husband,  her  antecedents  had  not 
been  very  attractive  to  the  high  and  aristocratic 
society  which  formerly  constituted  the  Court  of  the 
Archduchess. 

Surrounded  by  French  Intriguers  who  had  fallen 
upon  Belgium  as  upon  a  prey.  Monsieur  de  Ponte- 
coulant did  not  give  much  time  to  the  cares  of  the 
administration.  The  Emperor  had  recalled  him,  at 
the  same  time  nominating  him  for  the  Senate,  and 

[341] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

had  sent  Monsieur  de  Chaban  to  replace  him.  The 
latter,  who  was  an  honest  and  enlightened  man,  a 
firm  and  excellent  administrator,  had  reformed  many- 
abuses,  punished  breaches  of  trust  and  dismissed  the 
culpable  parties.  All  his  acts  had  been  just  and  en- 
lightened. It  was  only  necessary  for  him  to  follow 
out  this  course  to  administer  the  country  well,  but 
he  had  not  succeeded  in  overcoming  the  aloofness 
which  the  upper  classes  felt  for  the  French  govern- 
ment. This  task  was  encumbent  upon  my  husband, 
and  I  dare  say  upon  me,  also,  as  the  source  of  all 
influence  is  found  in  the  salon. 

It  is  true  that  Monsieur  de  Chaban  was  married, 
but  his  wife  who  was  sickly,  insignificant  and  of 
obscure  origin,  never  received,  and  consequently  no- 
body had  ever  seen  her. 

I  had  been  preceded  at  Brussels  by  a  kind  of 
romantic  reputation  which  I  owed  to  my  adventures 
in  America. 

After  having  made  all  my  arrangements  at  Le 
Boullh  and  sent  off  by  the  wagon  everything  which 
we  thought  would  be  useful  to  us  at  Brussels,  to 
diminish  the  very  great  expense  of  our  establishment 
in  a  large  mansion,  I  set  out  by  post  with  Mme.  de 
Maurville,  my  daughters  and  my  little  son.  A  friend 
at  Bordeaux,  Monsieur  Meyer,  lent  me  a  carriage 
which  I  sold  for  him  at  Brussels.  En  route  I  passed 
three  or  four  weeks  at  Paris  with  my  aunt,  who  was 
then  living  with  Monsieur  de  Lally  in  a  fine  house, 
in  the  Rue  de  Miromesnil  which  she  has  since  sold. 

Mme.  Dillon  had   returned  from  England  some 

C342] 


THE   PREFECTURE  AT   BRUSSELS 

time  before.  1  went  to  see  her,  for  she  had  received 
my  husband  very  cordially  when  he  visited  Paris 
with  Humbert  the  preceding  year.  My  sister  Fanny 
had  grown  up.  She  was  then  twenty-three  years  of 
age  and  without  being  pretty  had  a  very  distinguished 
air.  Several  suitors  had  already  presented  themselves 
for  her  hand,  but  the  one  whom  she  would  have 
preferred  among  them  all  and  would  have  married 
was  no  longer  living.  This  was  Prince  Alphonse 
Pignatelli  who  had  died  of  a  malady  of  the  chest. 
Before  his  death  he  had  wished  to  marry  Fanny  so 
as  to  be  able  to  leave  her  his  fortune,  but  she  had 
refused.  As  the  days  of  the  unfortunate  man  were 
numbered,  she  thought  that  it  would  have  shown  a 
lack  of  consideration  on  her  part  towards  the  family 
of  Monsieur  Pignatelli,  if  she  had  married  him  at 
the  last  moment,  although  she  loved  him  dearly  and 
would  have  been  happy,  even  in  losing  him,  to  bear 
his  name.  I  also  was  grieved,  for  I  should  have 
preferred  to  have  my  sister  called  Pignatelli  rather 
than  Bertrand. 

Since  this  common  name  has  come  from  my  pen, 
this  is  the  place  to  relate  what  had  passed  at  the 
time  of  the  last  trip  of  my  husband  to  Paris. 

The  Emperor  had  repeatedly  informed  the  Empress 
and  Fanny  herself  of  his  wish  that  she  should  marry 
General  Bertrand,  his  aide  de  camp,  who  was  later 
Grand  Marechal  of  the  Palace,  who  had  been  in  love 
with  her  for  a  long  time.  My  sister  was  not  willing 
to  consent,  and  the  Emperor  was  much  put  out. 
When  he  learned  of  her  preference  for  Alphonse 
Pignatelli,  however,  he  dropped  the  matter,  but  after 

[343  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  death  of  the  Prince  he  took  the  affair  up  again. 
My  husband  was  at  Paris  just  at  the  moment  when 
Mme.  Dillon  had  promised  a  definite  answer,  and 
she  requested  him  to  see  the  Empress  and  notify  her 
of  the  formal  refusal  of  my  sister.  The  commission 
was  quite  a  delicate  one,  nevertheless  he  undertook 
it.  The  Empress  received  him  in  her  bed-room  where 
the  deep  alcove  was  closed  during  the  day  by  a  thick 
drapery  of  heavy  material  which  formed  a  kind  of 
wall  of  embroidered  damask  with  a  deep  border  of 
golden  fringe.  She  asked  him  to  sit  down  beside  her 
on  a  couch  which  was  placed  against  the  curtain. 
As  they  were  en  fete  a  tete,  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin  without  any  circumlocution  acquitted  himself  to 
the  Empress  of  the  commission  with  which  he  had 
been  charged,  while  at  the  same  time  excusing  him- 
self for  having  brought  a  decision  contrary  to  the 
wishes  of  the  Emperor.  As  the  Empress  continued  to 
insist,  in  the  course  of  the  conversation,  which  was 
quite  long,  he  gave  expression  to  very  aristocratic 
sentiments  which  were  not  unpleasant.  Finally,  after 
having  spoken  to  him  of  himself,  of  me,  of  our  chil- 
dren, of  his  fortune,  of  his  plans,  the  Empress  dis- 
missed him.  My  husband  then  went  to  make  his 
report  to  Mme.  Dillon  regarding  the  interview  which 
he  had  just  had.  That  same  evening  he  called  on 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  who  took  him  by  the  arm, 
as  he  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  when  he  wished  to 
talk  Informally  with  him  In  a  corner. 

"What  possessed  you,"  he  said,  "to  refuse  General 
Bertrand  for  your  sister-in-law.  Was  that  any  of 
your  affair?" 

C344] 


THE   PREFECTURE  AT   BRUSSELS 

"Why,  Fanny  wished  it,"  rcpHcd  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin,  "and  my  age  allows  me  to  act  for  her 
as  a  father." 

"Well,"  said  the  cunning  old  fox,  "fortunately  you 
have  not  hurt  your  affair  with  all  your  aristocracy. 
They  love  that  at  the  Tuileries  now." 

"  Who  then  told  you  that  ? "  demanded  my  husband. 
"Have  you  seen  the  Empress.''" 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  Talleyrand,  "but  I  have  seen 
the  Emperor  who  was  listening  to  you!" 

It  was  perhaps  this  conversation  overheard  behind 
the  curtain  which  made  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
Prefet  at  Brussels. 

It  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  tell,  with  exactitude, 
the  story  of  my  sojourn  at  Brussels.  They  were  very 
fond  of  society  there  and  they  were  much  pleased  to 
have  at  last  a  salon  de  Prefet  held  by  a  woman  who 
belonged  to  the  aristocratic  class.  There  were  two 
ladies  residing  at  Brussels  who  w^ere  my  superiors 
on  account  of  the  positions  occupied  by  their  hus- 
bands: the  wife  of  the  General,  Commander  of  the 
Division  which  had  its  headquarters  at  Brussels,  and 
the  wife  of  the  First  President  of  the  Imperial  Court 
seated  also  at  Brussels. 

The  first,  Mme.  de  Chambarlhac,  had  been  a 
beautiful  Savoyarde,  Mile,  de  Coucy.  She  was  the 
aunt  of  Monsieur  de  Coucy  whom  we  have  known 
since.  It  was  said  that  she  had  been  a  religteuse  or 
novice  when  her  husband,  during  one  of  the  campaigns 
in  Italy,  carried  her  off  and  married  her.  Although 
forty  years  of  age,  she  was  still  quite  pretty.  Ac- 

C  345  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

customed  to  live  with  military  men  of  every  kind, 
she  had  acquired  very  common  manners  which,  how- 
ever, were  relieved  by  a  certain  aristocratic  gloss. 
You  can  understand  that  I  was  neither  able  nor 
willing  to  associate  with  such  a  person.  Her  ante- 
cedents repelled  me.  I  always  pictured  her  to  myself, 
attired  in  the  costume  of  a  hussar  which  she  had 
worn,  it  was  said,  in  order  to  follow  her  husband 
during  several  campaigns.  As  for  General  de  Cham- 
barlhac,  he  was  an  imbecile  who,  from  the  very  first 
day,  took  a  hostile  position  regarding  my  husband 
on  account  of  jealousy. 

The  second  woman  was  the  wife  of  the  First 
President,  Monsieur  Betz,  a  learned  German  with 
much  intelligence  and  capacity.  She  belonged  to  the 
lowest  class  in  the  social  scale.  Although  she  was 
quite  homely  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  she  might 
nevertheless  have  been  pretty  in  her  youth.  She  was 
always  coiffee,  puree,  decolletee  like  a  young  person. 
I  received  her  at  my  house  on  State  occasions,  but 
I  do  not  remember  ever  having  entered  her  home, 
although  I  did  not  neglect  to  leave  my  card  from 
time  to  time. 

The  great  jealousy  of  these  two  ladies  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  they  were  never  invited  to  supper  with 
the  "Dowager."  To  be  invited  to  these  suppers  was 
considered  a  mark  of  great  distinction  and  formed  the 
line  of  demarcation  in  the  society  of  Brussels. 

The  "Dowager"  was  the  Duchesse  d'Arenberg, 
nee  Comtesse  de  La  Marck  and  the  last  descendant 
of  the  "Boar  of  the  Ardennes,"  Guillaume  de  La 
Marck,  born  about   1436,  who  was  decapitated  in 

C346] 


THE   PREFFXTURE   AT   BRUSSELS 

1485.  She  represented,  according  to  the  words  of  the 
Archbishop  of  MaHnes,  the  ideal  of  the  reine-mere. 
Living  in  retirement  in  the  mansion  assigned  to  the 
widows  of  the  Flouse  of  Arenberg,  she  maintained 
there  a  simple  but  noble  style  and  invited  every  day 
to  supper  a  certain  number  of  persons  of  every  age, 
both  men  and  women.  She  always  dined  alone,  went 
out  in  an  open  carriage  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  and 
saw,  during  the  course  of  the  day,  her  children, 
especially  her  blind  son  whom  she  tenderly  loved. 
Every  time  that  a  slight  indisposition,  caused  by  the 
gout,  prevented  the  latter  from  going  out,  she  did 
not  fail  to  go  to  see  him.  From  seven  to  nine  in  the 
evening  she  received  visits.  After  that  hour,  if  any 
one  called,  the  Swiss  demanded  if  he  had  been  in- 
vited to  supper.  If  the  response  was  negative,  he 
was  not  admitted.  At  this  hour  the  guests  arrived, 
and  such  was  the  respect  in  which  the  Duchesse  was 
held  that  no  one  in  Brussels  would  have  ventured 
to  arrive  at  half  past  nine.  At  ten  o'clock  the  Duchesse 
rang  and  ordered  the  supper  served. 

After  supper  we  played  at  lotto  until  midnight. 
When  her  son  was  present  he  had  a  game  of  whist 
or  by  preference  a  game  of  backgammon  with  Mon- 
sieur de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  if  he  was  there.These  re- 
unions never  comprised  more  than  fifteen  or  eighteen 
guests  chosen  from  the  most  distinguished  persons  of 
the  city  or  from  strangers  of  distinction.  But  the 
presence  of  strangers  was  rare,  since  France,  at  war 
with  all  Europe,  could  not  be  visited  then  as  it  has 
been  since. 

I  had  often  met  the  Duchesse  d'Arenberg  at  Paris 

[347] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

before  the  Revolution,  at  the  Hotel  de  Beauvau, 
where  I  was  received  with  great  kindness.  Besides 
this,  I  knew  that  Mme.  de  Poix  and  Mme.  de  Beauvau 
had  written  letters  regarding  me  prior  to  my  arrival 
at  Brussels.  The  day  following  our  arrival  I  went, 
therefore,  accompanied  by  my  husband,  to  see  this 
distinguished  lady.  We  were  received  with  the  great- 
est possible  kindness  and  invited  for  supper  on  the 
following  day.  The  Duchesse  also  expressed  the  wish 
that  I  should  present  to  her  my  son,  Humbert,  who 
had  come  to  Brussels  to  meet  us.  This  was  a  token 
of  the  consideration  with  which  we  were  to  be 
treated.  All  the  members  of  high  society  hastened 
to  inscribe  their  names  at  our  house  or  came  to  see 
us  in  person.  I  took  very  particular  care  to  return 
all  these  visits  without  forgetting  any  one.  I  prepared 
a  methodical  list  of  all  the  persons  who  had  come  to 
call.  After  each  name  I  made  a  note  of  all  the  par- 
ticulars which  I  had  been  able  to  gather  as  to  the 
family,  either  in  conversation  or  from  the  nobiliary 
records  which  I  procured  at  the  Burgundy  Library 
which  was,  and  is  still,  very  rich  in  information  of 
this  kind.  As  assistants  in  this  work,  for  the  present 
time,  I  had  Monsieur  de  Verseyden,  Secretary 
General  of  the  Prefecture  of  Wareck,  and,  for  times 
past,  an  old  Commander  of  Malta,  who  came  to  see 
me  every  evening.  At  the  end  of  a  month  I  was  as 
familiar  with  the  world  of  Brussels  as  if  I  had  lived 
there  all  my  life.  I  knew  the  liaisons  of  every  kind, 
the  animosities,  the  tracasseries  and  so  on. 

Our  establishment  cost  us  a  great  deal  of  money. 
It  seems  to  me  that  my  husband  received  a  certain 

C348] 


THE    PREFECTURE   AT   BRUSSELS 

sum  to  maintain  the  house,  but  1  am  not  sure  of  this: 
The  personnel  of  the  service  comprised  two  domestics 
and  an  employe  of  the  Bureau,  dressed  in  livery,  a 
porter,  a  valet  de  chambre  maitrc  d'hotel,  the  usher 
of  the  cabinet,  who  also  waited  the  days  of  receptions, 
and  two  men  in  the  stable.  We  occupied  the  Palace 
where  the  King  of  Holland  has  lived  since. 

The  Palace  at  that  time  comprised  only  the  east 
wing  of  the  present  Royal  Palace.  The  west  wing 
was  then  occupied  by  the  Hotel  Bellevue.  Between 
the  two  wings  was  the  Rue  Heraldique,  which  was 
closed  in  1826  when  the  two  wings  were  joined  by  the 
central  colonnade.  My  private  rooms,  on  the  same 
floor  with  the  State  apartments,  were  pleasant  and 
commodious.  They  comprised,  in  particular,  a  fine 
salon  and  a  billiard  room.  From  the  very  first  I 
announced  that  I  would  never  receive  in  the  morning 
under  any  pretext  whatsoever.  The  morning  hours 
I  devoted  to  the  education  of  my  daughters,  helping 
them  in  their  lessons  and  going  out  with  them  for 
promenades,  either  on  foot  or  in  a  carriage. 

We  soon  became  intimate  with  a  number  of 
persons.  My  husband  met  again  with  pleasure  the 
Comte  de  Liedekerke,  one  of  his  old  companions  in 
arms  before  the  Revolution  in  the  Regiment  of 
Royal-Comtois,  of  which  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin  had  been  the  Colonel  en  Second.  The  Comte  de 
Liedekerke  had  married  Mile.  Desandrouin,  who 
was  heiress  to  an  immense  fortune  of  which  she 
already  possessed  a  considerable  part.  They  had  only 
one  son,  Florent-Charles-Auguste,  and  two  daughters. 
The  young  man,  then  twenty-two  years  of  age,  was 

C349] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

auditeur  of  the  Council  of  State.  As  there  was  talk 
of  attaching  one  of  these  auditeurs  to  the  person  of 
each  prefet,  in  order  to  give  these  young  men  an 
acquaintance  with  the  administration,  and  with  the 
idea  of  employing  them  as  secretaries  in  the  private 
cabinet  of  the  prefet,  Monsieur  de  Liedekerke  re- 
quested Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  his  former 
Colonel,  to  give  his  son  such  a  post. 

Our  son  Humbert  had  left  Antwerp,  where  Monsieur 
Malouet  had  been  to  him  a  second  father,  and  returned 
to  Brussels  to  take  up  the  preparatory  studies  which 
were  necessary  for  his  examination  for  the  Council  of 
State  which  was  to  take  place  in  several  months. 

During  the  month  of  September,  1808,  I  received 
a  letter  from  my  step-mother,  Mme.  Dillon.  She  in- 
formed me  that  my  sister  had  finally  decided,  after 
much  hesitation  and  uncertainty,  to  marry  General 
Bertrand.  She  had  been  overcome,  in  part  by  his 
constancy,  and  in  part  by  the  persistency  of  the 
Emperor  to  whom  you  could  refuse  nothing,  as  he 
used  so  much  charm  and  fascination  in  obtaining 
what  he  desired.  My  sister  at  that  time  was  extremely 
frivolous,  with  the  frivolity  of  a  Creole  like  her  mother. 
Napoleon  had  desired  that  she  should  accompany 
the  Empress  Josephine  to  Fontainebleau,  and  in 
order  to  enable  her  to  appear  to  advantage,  he  had 
sent  her  30,000  francs  to  cover  the  expenses  of  her 
wardrobe  during  the  week  that  the  Court  was  to  be 
there.  At  this  time  he  finally  succeeded  in  obtaining 
her  assent  to  the  proposed  union  which  she  had 
refused  so  obstinately. 

C350] 


THE   PREFECTURE   AT   imUSSELS 

The  Emperor  decided  that  the  marriage  should 
take  place  at  once,  in  spite  of  the  ohjection  raised  by 
my  sister  that  her  mother  had  just  lost  her  daughter, 
poor  Mme.  de  Fitz-James.  The  Emperor,  in  face  of 
these  attempts  at  delay  and  judging  that  the  two 
women  if  left  to  themselves  would  never  come  to  a 
decision,  said  to  Fanny:  "Have  your  sister  come. 
She  will  arrange  everything.  I  am  leaving  for  Erfurt 
in  a  week.  The  marriage  must  take  place  before  then." 

I  was  advised  by  a  letter  from  the  Due  de  Bassano, 
for  neither  Mme.  Dillon  nor  Fanny  thought  to  write 
me.  Although  the  letter  was  very  pleasant,  it  had 
very  much  the  air  of  an  order,  and  the  thought  of 
refusing  did  not  enter  my  mind.  Two  hours  after  I 
received  it,  I  was  on  my  way  to  Paris. 

At  daybreak,  I  arrived  at  the  house  of  Mme. 
d'Henin  who  was  stupified  on  awakening  to  find  me 
beside  her  bed.  She  always  kept  a  room  at  our  dis- 
posal In  her  pretty  mansion  of  the  Rue  de  Miromesnil 
where  she  then  lived.  I  remained  with  my  aunt  only 
long  enough  to  change  my  gown  and  to  send  for  a 
carriage.  Then,  having  taken  a  cup  of  tea,  I  went  to 
see  Mme.  Dillon,  Rue  Joubert.  There  I  learned  that 
she  had  been  for  several  days  In  the  country,  not 
far  from  Saint-Cloud,  with  Mme.  de  Bolgne.  She  had 
left  no  word  for  me.  I  then  demanded  the  name,  and 
the  route  to  take  to  this  house,  and  immediately  set 
out  again,  after  having  written  a  line  to  the  Due  de 
Bassano,  to  announce  to  him  my  arrival. 

After  a  trip  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  I  arrived  at 
Beauregard,  the  house  of  Mme.  de  Boigne,  above 
Malmaison.   Half  past  eleven  was  striking  when  I 

[351] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

arrived,  and  Mme.  Dillon  was  still  in  bed.  Fanny 
cried:  "Now  we  are  saved.  Here  is  my  sister!"  Her 
mother,  on  the  contrary,  was  seized  with  fright  at 
the  idea  of  the  activity  which  my  energy  would 
impart  to  her.  She  had  thought  of  nothing.  I  began 
by  advising  her  to  get  up,  dress,  take  breakfast,  and 
then  return  to  Paris  with  my  sister  and  myself.  At 
this  moment  General  Bertrand  arrived.  Until  then 
I  had  never  met  him,  and  he  probably  knew  that 
my  husband  had  been  charged  by  Mme.  Dillon  with 
the  task  of  refusing  his  marriage  propositions  two 
years  before.  As  he  was  naturally  extremely  timid, 
he  was  very  much  embarrassed.  In  order  to  put  him 
at  his  ease,  I  proposed  to  him  a  walk  in  the  park 
while  awaiting  the  moment  when  Mme.  Dillon  should 
be  dressed.  During  this  promenade  which  lasted  an 
hour,  we  came  to  such  a  complete  understanding  that 
on  returning  to  the  house  all  was  arranged. 

Without  entering  into  long  details,  I  will  say  that 
the  following  morning  everything  was  ready  and  the 
signature  of  the  contract  was  fixed  for  the  next 
evening.  This  was  accomplished  at  the  Mairie.  The 
Grand-Juge  Regnier  was  awakened  at  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning  to  have  expedited  I  know  not  what  act 
which  had  to  serve  as  a  certificate  of  baptism  for 
my  sister,  as  Mme.  Dillon  had  lost  the  one  which 
she  possessed,  if  she  ever  had  one.  Even  the  most 
diligent  courier  would  not  have  been  able  to  go  to 
Avesnes  in  Flanders,  where  my  sister  was  born,  and 
return  by  the  day  destined  by  Napoleon  for  the 
marriage.  The  Emperor  had  also  insisted  that 
the  ceremony  should  take  place  at  Saint-Leu,  at  the 

[352] 


L'inFE:iui.?iRxcs  : 

1791  -  18*7 


DUISE 


THE    PREFECTURE  AT   BRUSSELS 

Chateau  of  Queen  Hortense,  who  was  very  careful 
to  carry  out  in  all  {)articulars  the  orders  given  by  the 
Emperor  for  the  ceremony.  Thus  at  the  moment 
when  he  was  going  to  assemble  around  him  all  the 
potentates  who  were  then  at  his  feet,  the  great  man 
had  found  the  time  to  regulate  the  minutest  details 
of  the  celebration  of  the  marriage  of  his  favorite 
aide  de  camp. 

I  was  presented  to  the  Emperor  by  Mme.  de 
Bassano  at  Saint-Cloud.  Towards  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  go  to  her 
house  in  Court  costume,  with  a  plumed  toque.  The 
Emperor  received  me  in  the  most  gracious  manner, 
asked  me  many  questions  regarding  Brussels,  the 
society,  la  haute  societe,  with  a  smile  which  seemed 
to  say:  "Vous  n'aimez  que  celle-la."  Then  he  laughed 
at  having  made  me  get  up  so  early  in  the  morning 
and  made  a  little  fun  of  Mme.  de  Bassano  on  this 
subject,  a  mockery  which  she  took  with  a  little  sulky 
air  which  was  very  becoming  to  her.  She  has  since 
told  me  that  the  Emperor  at  that  time  was  quite 
smitten  with  her. 

The  great  ones  of  the  earth  arrived  with  their 
wives.  The  clauses  of  the  marriage  contract  were 
read,  but  I  do  not  remember  the  details,  although  I 
think  they  were  favorable  to  my  sister.  Fanny,  that 
day,  appeared  to  very  great  advantage. 

The  evening  which  preceded  the  day  of  the  marriage 
passed  In  a  very  tiresome  manner.  The  dejeuner  the 
next  day  was  not  more  amusing.  The  marriage  was  to 
take  place  at  half  past  three.  All  the  ''archi'  arrived: 

[353  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

the  Marshals,  the  Generals  and  so  on.  We  marched 
in  a  procession  to  the  chapel.  The  Abbe  d'Osmond, 
Bishop  of  Nancy,  later  Archbishop  of  Florence,  gave 
the  nuptial  benediction.  Then  the  dinner  was  served, 
and  after  dinner  we  danced.  Many  young  people 
came  from  Paris.  Queen  Hortense,  who  loved  to 
dance,  nevertheless  was  in  bad  humor,  on  account 
of  a  little  incident  which  was  quite  amusing.  The 
Emperor  had  not  appeared,  but  he  had  intimated  to 
Queen  Hortense  that,  after  having  examined  the  set 
of  emeralds  surrounded  by  diamonds  which  the 
Empress  had  given  Fanny,  he  did  not  think  it  was 
sufficient.  As  he  knew  that  Hortense  had  a  similar 
set,  he  requested  her  to  add  hers  to  that  given  by 
her  mother,  in  order  to  complete  the  gift.  She  did 
not  expect  anything  of  this  kind  and  was  very  much 
displeased,  but  It  was  necessary  to  submit. 


C354] 


CHAPTER  'I'lIIRTEKN 
lSlO-1811 

VISIT  OF  THE  EMPEROR 

The  Winter  Season  at  Brussels, — -The  Ennui  of  Queen  Hortense. 
—  Arrival  of  Marie-Louise  at  Conipiegne. —  High  Society 
at  Brussels  and  the  Imperial  Government. —  The  Guard  of 
Honor. —  Napoleon  and  Marie-Louise  at  Brussels. —  Dinner 
with  the  Emperor. —  Ball  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville. —  Departure 
of  the  Emperor. —  The  Summer  at  Brussels. —  Examination 
of  Humbert  at  the  Conseil  d'Etat. —  Humbert  Appointed 
Sous-Prefet  at  Florence. —  Birth  of  the  King  of  Rome. — 
The  Private  Baptism. —  The  Old  Guard. 

I  RETURNED  to  Brussels  after  several  grand 
dinners  given  in  honor  of  the  marriage,  which 
were  very  boring.  I  set  out  with  joy  to  be  again 
with  my  husband  and  my  children.  The  autumn  and 
the  winter  passed  quite  agreeably  at  Brussels.  I  gave 
two  or  three  handsome  balls.  Mme.  de  Duras  came 
with  her  daughters  to  pass  two  weeks  with  us.  I  gave 
them  dances  and  took  them  to  the  theatre  in  the 
excellent  box  of  the  Prefecture.  They  had  a  very 
good  time. 

Queen  Hortense  had  passed  through  Brussels  in 
the  course  of  the  last  journey  which  she  made  to 
rejoin  her  husband  for  a  period  of  several  days  at 
Amsterdam.  I  saw  her  when  she  went  through  and 
she  expressed  a  great  boredom  over  the  necessity  of 
going  to  resume  her  duties  as  Queen. 

C355  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

As  I  have  no  pretension  of  writing  history,  I  will 
not  speak  of  the  marriage  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
with  the  Archiduchesse  Marie-Louise.  I  will  only 
report  what  my  sister  told  me  regarding  the  arrival 
of  this  Princess  at  Compiegne. 

The  Emperor  was  then  at  Compiegne  with  the 
new  Ladies  of  Honor  of  the  Empress  and  was  in  a 
state  of  boundless  impatience  to  see  his  new  wife. 
A  little  caleche  was  waiting  all  hitched  up  in  the 
court  of  the  Chateau  to  take  him  to  meet  her.  When 
the  advance  courier  came,  Napoleon  rushed  to  the 
caleche  and  set  out  to  meet  the  berline  which  was 
bringing  the  spouse  so  much  desired.  The  carriage 
stopped.  The  door  was  opened  and  Marie-Louise 
prepared  to  descend,  but  her  husband  did  not  give 
her  the  time.  He  entered  the  berline,  embraced  his 
wife,  and  then  having  pushed  her  sister,  the  Queen 
of  Naples,  without  ceremony  onto  the  front  seat  of 
the  carriage,  he  seated  himself  beside  Marie-Louise. 

Arriving  at  the  Chateau  he  descended  first,  offered 
her  his  arm  and  conducted  her  to  the  salon  de  service, 
where  all  the  invited  guests  were  assembled.  It  was 
already  evening.  The  Emperor  presented,  one  after  an- 
other, all  the  ladies  of  the  mansion,  and  then  the  men. 
This  presentation  over,  he  took  the  Empress  by  the 
hand  and  conducted  her  to  her  apartment.  All  of  us 
thought  that  the  Empress  was  proceeding  with  her  toi- 
lette. We  waited  for  an  hour  and  then  commenced  to 
be  very  anxious  to  have  our  supper.  At  this  moment, 
the  grand  chamberlain  came  to  announce  that  Their 
Majesties  had  retired.  The  surprise  was  great,  but  no 
one  ventured  to  let  It  be  seen,  and  we  went  to  supper. 

[356] 


VISIT   OF  THE    KMPKROR 

This  marriage  with  an  Archiduchesse  was  cele- 
brated at  Brussels  with  great  rejoicing.  The  recollec- 
tions of  the  Austrian  domination  were  far  from  being 
effaced.  The  nobility  of  Brussels,  which  until  then  had 
kept  aloof  from  the  new  government,  attracted  now  by 
the  good  administration  of  a  Prefet  of  the  aristocratic 
class,  found  the  moment  favorable  to  lay  aside  its  for- 
mer antipathy,  which  had  commenced  to  be  irksome. 

When  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  learned  that 
the  Emperor  was  going  to  bring  the  young  Empress 
to  the  capital  of  the  ancient  possessions  of  her  father 
in  Belgium,  he  created  a  Guard  of  Honor  to  form  the 
service  at  the  Chateau  of  Laeken.  This  Guard  was 
composed  entirely  of  Belgians,  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  French.  The  uniform  was  very  simple:  a  green 
coat  with  amaranthine  breeches.  It  was  a  cavalry 
corps  and  very  well  mounted.  My  sister  came  to 
Brussels  and  stayed  with  us  at  the  Prefecture.  She 
was  present  at  the  grand  dinner  which  we  gave  in 
honor  of  this  Guard,  at  which  the  ladies  were  adorned 
with  ribbons  of  the  same  colors  as  the  uniform. 

The  Emperor  arrived  at  Laeken  for  dinner.  The 
next  day  he  received  the  Guard  of  Honor  and  all  the 
officials.  The  Mayor,  the  Due  d'Ursel,  presented  the 
municipal  authorities  to  him.  In  the  evening  there 
was  an  Assembly  at  which  I  presented  the  ladies, 
nearly  all  of  whom  I  knew.  Marie-Louise  did  not 
address  a  personal  word  to  any  of  them.  The  name 
of  the  most  illustrious  lady  present,  for  example  the 
Duchesse  d'Arenberg,  or  the  Comtesse  de  Merode, 

meant  no  more  to  her  ear  than  that  of  Mme.  P , 

wife  of  the  Receiver  General. 

C357] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

After  the  Assembly.  I  had  the  honor  of  playing  a 
game  of  whist  with  Her  Majesty.  The  Due  d'Ursel 
named  the  cards  which  I  must  throw  upon  the  table 
and  warned  me  when  it  was  my  turn  to  deal.  This 
kind  of  comedy  lasted  half  an  hour.  After  this,  the 
Emperor  having  retired,  we  separated,  and  I  was 
charmed  to  return  home. 

The  following  day  there  was  to  be  a  grand  ball  at 
the  Hotel  de  Ville.  I  was  therefore  somewhat  put 
out  when  I  was  invited  to  dinner  at  Laeken,  as  I  did 
not  well  see  how  I  could  find  a  moment  to  change 
my  toilette,  or  at  least  my  gown,  between  the  dinner 
and  the  ball.  However,  the  pleasure  of  seeing  and 
listening  to  the  Emperor  during  a  period  of  two  hours 
was  so  great  that  I  could  not  but  appreciate  the 
value  of  such  an  invitation.  The  Due  d'Ursel  ac- 
companied me,  and  as  we  were  to  go  afterwards  to 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  to  receive  the  Emperor,  I  ordered 
my  femme  de  chambre  to  be  there  with  another 
toilette  all  ready. 

'  This  dinner  was  one  of  the  events  of  my  life  of 
which  I  have  preserved  the  most  agreeable  recollec- 
tion. Here  is  the  way  in  which  the  guests,  to  the 
number  of  eight,  were  placed  at  the  table:  The 
Emperor;  at  his  right,  the  Queen  of  Westphalia,  then 
Marechal  Berthier,  the  King  of  Westphalia,  the 
Empress,  the  Due  d'Ursel,  Mme.  de  Bouille,  finally 
myself,  at  the  left  of  the  Emperor.  He  talked  to  me 
nearly  all  the  time,  regarding  the  manufactures,  the 
laces,  the  daily  wages,  the  life  of  the  lace-makers; 
then  of  the  monuments,  the  antiquities,  the  establish- 
ments of  charity,  the  manners  of  the  people,  the 

C358] 


VISIT  OF  THE   EMPEROR 

beguines.  Fortunately  I  was  well  posted  regarding  all 
of  these  subjects.  The  Emperor  demanded  of  the 
Due  d'Ursel :  "  What  are  the  wages  of  a  lace-maker  ? " 
The  poor  man  was  embarrassed  in  the  endeavor  to 
express  the  sum  in  centimes.  The  Emperor  saw  his 
hesitation,  and  turning  to  me  asked:  "What  is  the 
name  of  the  money  of  the  country.^"  I  replied:  "An 
escalin,  or  sixty-three  centimes."  "Ah!  c'est  bien," 
said  he. 

We  did  not  remain  more  than  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  at  table.  On  returning  to  the  salon,  the  Emperor 
took  a  large  cup  of  coffee  and  began  again  to  talk. 
First  he  spoke  of  the  toilette  of  the  Empress  which 
he  admired.  Then,  changing  the  topic,  he  asked  me 
if  I  found  my  lodging  satisfactory. 

"Pas  mal,"  I  replied,  "dans  I'appartement  de 
Votre  Majeste." 

"Ah!  vraiment,"  said  he,  "il  a  coute  assez  cher  pour 
cela.  C'est  ce  coquin  de  . . .  (le  nom  m'echappe)  le  secre- 
taire de  Monsieur  Pontecoulant,  qui  I'a  fait  arranger." 

The  Emperor  then  turned  to  an  entirely  different 
subject  of  conversation.  He  spoke  of  Charles  the 
Bold,  Due  de  Bourgogne,  and  of  Louis  XI,  from  whom 
he  descended  quite  abruptly  to  Louis  XIV,  saying 
that  he  had  never  been  really  great  except  in  his 
latter  years.  Observing  with  what  interest  I  listened 
to  him,  and  that  I  understood  him,  he  returned  to 
Louis  XI  and  expressed  himself  thus:  "J'ai  mon  avis 
sur  celui-Ia,  et  je  sais  bien  que  ce  n'est  pas  I'avis 
de  tout  le  monde."  After  several  words  regarding 
the  shame  of  the  reign  of  Louis  XV,  he  pronounced 
the  name  of  Louis  XVI,  upon  which,  stopping  with 

[359] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

an  air  at  once  respectful  and  sad,  he  said:  **Ce 
malheureux  prince!" 

At  this  moment  someone  announced  that  it  was 
necessary  to  set  out  for  the  ball.  Monsieur  d'Ursel 
and  I  rushed  to  the  carriage,  and  the  horses,  at  a 
gallop,  brought  us  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  I  went  up 
four  steps  at  a  time.  A  toilette  which  was  all  ready, 
awaited  me.  I  changed  my  costume  and  was  able  to 
be  in  the  ball-room  when  the  Emperor  arrived.  He 
paid  me  a  compliment  on  my  promptitude  and  asked 
me  if  I  intended  to  dance.  I  replied:  *'No,  because  I 
am  forty  years  old."  At  this  he  began  to  laugh,  saying: 
*' There  are  many  others  who  dance  who  do  not  reveal 
their  age  like  that."  The  ball  was  very  fine  and  was 
prolonged  after  the  supper  where  everyone  drank  to 
the  health  of  the  Empress. 

The  Emperor  and  his  wife  left  the  following  morn- 
ing. A  yacht  highly  decorated  took  them  to  the  end 
of  the  Canal  of  Brussels  where  they  found  the 
carriages  which  conveyed  them  to  Antwerp.  On 
boarding  the  yacht,  my  husband  noticed  the  Marquis 
de  Trazegnies,  the  Commander  of  the  Guard  of 
Honor.  Fearing  that  the  Emperor  would  not  invite 
him  to  take  a  place  on  the  yacht,  where  there  was 
only  room  for  a  few  persons,  he  named  him,  at  the 
same  time  adding:  "His  ancestor  was  Constable  undei 
Saint  Louis."  These  words  produced  a  magic  effect 
on  the  Emperor,  who  immediately  summoned  the 
Marquis  de  Trazegnies  and  had  a  long  talk  with  him. 
A  short  time  later,  his  wife  was  named  Dame  du 
Palais.  She  pretended  to  be  displeased  over  this 
nomination,  although  secretly  she  was  delighted. 

C  360  ] 


VISIT  OF  THE  EMPEROR 

After  this  trip  of  the  Emperor,  we  resumed  the 
ordinary  train  of  our  life  at  lirussels.  The  summer 
passed  in  visiting  different  country  houses  where  we 
were  invited  to  dine.  We  went  to  Antwerp  to  be 
present  at  the  launching  of  a  large  vessel  of  Seventy- 
four,  one  of  the  new  ones  at  that  moment  on  the 
ways.  Our  excellent  friend,  Monsieur  Malouct,  was 
at  the  head  of  this  work  through  his  position  as 
Prefet  Maritime.  All  the  details  of  these  constructions 
interested  me  in  the  highest  degree. 

Our  son  Humbert  went  to  Paris  to  pass  his  ex- 
amination. It  was  a  very  trying  thing  for  a  young 
man  of  twenty  years  to  reply  to  a  whole  series  of 
questions  which  were  asked  him.  But  it  was  even  more 
so,  when  the  Emperor,  seated  in  an  armchair,  with 
the  candidates  standing  before  him,  took  up  the 
examination  and  asked  you  a  lot  of  unexpected 
things.  Humbert  heard  the  examiner  say  in  the  ear 
of  Napoleon  in  pointing  him  out:  "This  is  one  of  the 
most  distinguished,"  and  this  good  word  comforted 
him.  The  Emperor  asked  him  if  he  knew  any  foreign 
language,  to  which  he  replied:  ** English  and  Italian, 
as  well  as  French."  It  was  the  facility  with  which  he 
spoke  Italian  that  decided  his  nomination  as  Sous- 
Prefet  at  Florence. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  winter  of  1810  and  181 1, 
we  went,  my  husband  and  I,  to  pass  two  months  at 
Paris,  to  accompany  our  son  Humbert,  who  was 
setting  out  for  Florence.  My  sister  Fanny  was  at 
Paris  with  her  two  children,  of  whom  the  younger, 
little  Hortense,  was  only  three  months  old. 

[361] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

We  had  left  at  Brussels,  Mme.  d'Henin,  my  two 
daughters  and  Monsieur  de  Lally,  who  passed  for  an 
English  prisoner.  He  was  very  anxious  not  to  lose 
this  position,  in  order  to  preserve  the  pension  of 
300  pounds  sterling  which  was  paid  him  on  that 
account  by  the  English  government. 

My  dear  Humbert  left  for  Florence.  This  departure, 
the  beginning  of  a  long  absence,  was  very  painful  to 
me.  I  was  his  friend,  as  well  as  his  mother.  I  was 
therefore  desirous  of  returning  at  once  to  Brussels, 
but  my  husband  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  leave 
Paris  before  the  birth  of  the  Imperial  child  which 
was  expected  at  any  moment. 

One  evening  I  was  invited  to  an  entertainment 
given  at  the  Tuileries,  in  a  little  gallery  where  a 
theatre  had  been  improvised.  We  assembled  in  the 
salon  of  the  Empress.  The  Emperor  came  directly 
to  me.  With  an  extreme  kindness  he  spoke  to  me 
first  of  my  son,  then  he  exclaimed  regarding  the 
simplicity  of  my  dress,  my  good  taste  and  my  dis- 
tinguished air,  to  the  great  surprise  of  several  ladies 
covered  with  diamonds,  who  were  asking  each  other 
who  this  new-comer  could  possibly  be.  When  we 
entered  the  gallery,  I  was  placed  upon  a  bench  very 
near  that  of  the  Emperor.  The  play,  "L'Avocat 
Patelin, "  was  performed  by  some  admirable  actors. 
The  piece  which  was  very  comical  amused  Napoleon 
very  much  and  he  laughed  heartily.  The  presence  of 
the  great  man  did  not  prevent  me  from  doing  the 
same.  This  pleased  him  very  much,  as  he  said  after- 
wards in  mocking  the  ladies  who  thought  it  necessary 
to  maintain  their  gravity.  It  was  considered  a  great 

C362] 


VISIT  OF  THE   EMPEROR 

favor  to  be  invited  to  this  spectacle,  and  only  about 
fifty  ladies  were  present. 

The  morning  of  the  twentieth  of  March,  iSii,  we 
heard  the  first  discharge  of  the  guns  of  the  Invalides. 
Every  one  rushed  into  the  street.  All  the  carriages 
stopped;  the  merchants,  upon  the  thresholds  of  their 
shops,  the  people  at  their  windows,  counted  the 
strokes.  We  heard  everyone  say:  "Three,  four,  five," 
and  so  on.  There  was  an  interval  of  about  a  minute 
between  each  discharge.  After  the  twenty-first,  there 
was  a  profound  silence,  but  at  the  twenty-second, 
there  were  spontaneous  cries  of:  "Vive  TEmpereurl" 

That  evening  I  dined  with  my  sister,  Mme. 
Bertrand,  and  there  we  were  notified  that  the  child 
would  be  privately  baptized  at  nine  o'clock  and  that 
the  ladies  who  had  been  presented  at  Court  could 
attend  the  ceremony. 

Mme.  Dillon,  my  sister  and  I  went.  We  had  to 
enter  by  the  Pavilion  de  Flore  and  pass  through  all 
the  apartments,  as  far  as  the  Salle  des  Marechaux. 
The  salons  were  full  of  the  dignitaries  of  the  Em})ire, 
men  and  women.  Every  one  endeavored  to  be  at  the 
edge  of  the  passage-way,  kept  open  by  the  ushers, 
where  the  procession  was  to  pass  to  descend  to  the 
chapel.  We  managed  to  manoeuvre  so  as  to  find 
ourselves  on  the  landing  of  the  stairway.  From  this 
point  we  enjoyed  a  very  rare  sight,  that  oi  the  old 
grognards  of  the  Vieille  Garde,  arranged  in  order 
upon  each  step,  every  one  wearing  the  cross  upon  his 
breast.  They  were  forbidden  to  make  a  movement, 
but  a  very  vivid  emotion  was  depicted  upon  their 

[  363  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

stem  faces,  and  I  saw  tears  of  joy  in  their  eyes.  The 
Emperor  appeared  at  the  side  of  Mme.  de  Montes- 
quiou,  who  bore  the  child  with  his  face  uncovered, 
upon  a  cushion  of  white  satin  covered  with  lace.  I 
had  the  opportunity  to  obtain  a  good  look  at  him. 


[364I 


CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 
1811-1813 

AN  AUDIENCE  WITH  NAPOLEON 

Marie-Louise  at  Laeken. —  Opening  of  the  Russian  Campaign. — 
Movements  of  Troops. —  Monsieur  de  Liedekerke  Demands 
the  Hand  of  Charlotte  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. —  Humbert  is 
Appointed  Sous-Prefet  at  Sens. —  Dismissal  of  the  Prefet 
of  Brussels. —  Mme.  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Leaves  for  Paris. — 
Request  for  an  Audience. —  Conversation  with  the  Em- 
peror.—  Surprise  of  Monsieur  de  Montalivet. —  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Appointed  Prefer  at  Amiens. —  The  As- 
sembly at  the  Tuileries. —  Amiability  of  Napoleon. —  The 
Last  Days  at  Brussels. —  Regrets  of  the  Population. — 
Marriage  of  Charlotte. 

A  FEW  days  later  we  returned  to  Brussels 
where  the  Emperor  was  expected  during 
the  spring.  His  brother  Louis  had  deserted 
the  throne  of  Holland  where  the  iron  hand  of  Napo- 
leon had  prevented  him  from  carrying  out  his  policy 
for  the  good  of  the  country.  He  had  left  in  Holland 
a  very  honorable  record,  as  I  know  from  King 
William  himself.  The  people  felt  very  differently 
about  the  administration  of  Monsieur  de  Celles,  the 
son-in-law  of  Mme.  de  Valence,  whose  memory  there 
has  been  held  in  horror.  The  Emperor  appointed  him 
Prefet  at  Amsterdam  where  he  did  all  the  evil  of 
which  a  man  is  capable  who  is  absolutely  devoid  of 
principle. 

C365] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

It  was  towards  the  spring  of  this  year  1811,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  remember,  that  we  received  the  visit, 
always  dreaded  by  the  Prefets,  of  a  Councillor  of 
State,  en  mission,  a  kind  of  spy  of  high  rank,  de- 
termined to  find  fault  even  with  those  whom  he 
could  not  help  esteeming.  Monsieur  Real  fell  to  the 
lot  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  who  realized, 
at  the  time  of  the  first  visit,  that  he  would  endeavor 
to  do  him  all  the  harm  possible.  Nevertheless,  during 
his  sojourn,  we  gave  him  a  dinner  followed  by  a 
reception.  I  had  said  to  the  ladies  who  had  shown 
kindness  to  me  that  they  would  do  me  a  favor  in 
coming  to  pass  the  evening  with  us.  After  dinner,  on 
returning  to  the  grand  salon,  we  found  united  there 
all  the  most  distinguished  persons  of  the  society  of 
Brussels,  both  men  and  women.  Monsieur  Real  was 
stupified  by  the  names,  the  manners,  and  the  jewels. 
He  could  not  refrain  from  saying  to  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin:  ** Monsieur,  voila  un  salon  qui 
m'offusque  terriblement."  To  which  my  husband 
replied:  "I  am  very  sorry,  but  fortunately,  it  does 
not  have  the  same  effect  on  the  Emperor." 

The  nineteenth  of  September,  181 1,  the  Emperor 
set  out  from  Paris  to  visit  the  camp  at  Boulogne, 
the  French  Fleet  and  the  north  of  the  Empire.  The 
Empress  went  to  Laeken  near  Brussels,  where  she 
arrived  the  night  of  the  twenty-first  or  twenty- 
second  of  September.  We  were  invited  to  come  to 
Laeken  every  day  to  pass  the  evening  and  play  at 
lotto.  This  lasted  for  a  week  and  was  very  boring. 
The  Empress  on  every  occasion  showed  the  greatest 
insipidness.  Every  day  she  said  the  same  thing  to  me 

C366] 


AN  AUDIENCE  WITH  NAPOLEON 

in  giving  nie  her  pulse  tu  count:  "  iJo  y(ju  think  that 
I  have  any  fever?"  to  which  I  invariably  replied: 
"Madame,  I  do  not  know  anything  about  it."  The 
Due  d'Ursel  was  charged  with  the  task  of  arranging 
the  morning  promenades,  according  to  the  weather. 
One  day  when  Marie-Louise  visited  the  Museum 
she  seemed  to  be  struck  by  a  handsome  portrait  of 
her  illustrious  grandmother,  Marie-Therese.  The  Due 
d'Ursel  proposed  to  her  to  place  the  portrait  in  a 
salon  at  Laeken.  She  replied:  **0h  n(j,  the  frame  is 
too  old!"  Another  time  he  suggested  as  an  interest- 
ing promenade  that  part  of  the  Forest  of  Soignes 
known  as  the  "pilgrimage  of  the  Archiduchesse 
Isabelle,"  whose  sanctity  and  goodness  have  re- 
mained in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  She  replied  that 
she  did  not  like  the  woods.  In  fine,  this  insignificant 
woman,  so  unworthy  of  the  great  man  whose  destiny 
she  shared,  seemed  to  make  it  a  point  to  be  as  dis- 
agreeable as  possible  to  the  Belgians  whose  hearts 
were  so  disposed  to  love  her.  I  never  saw  her  again 
until  after  she  lost  her  throne,  and  then  she  was  still 
as  destitute  of  intelligence. 

During  the  summer  of  1811,  Monsieur  de  Talley- 
rand came  to  preside  over  an  electoral  college,  sum- 
moned I  think  to  elect  a  senator  and  two  deputies  to 
the  Corps  Legislatif.  He  arrived  with  a  large  household 
and  gave  several  dinners  in  the  fine  apartments  of  the 
Hotel  d'Arenberg,  placed  at  his  disposal  by  the  blind 
Due.  On  th is  occasion  he  showed  again  all  his  great  and 
charming  manners,  which  contrasted  in  a  comical  fash- 
ion with  those  of  the  Archbishop  of  Malines  who  had 
the  appearance  of  a  Scapin  in  a  violet  cassock. 

[367] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

About  the  middle  of  the  spring  of  1812,  we  began 
to  see  the  troops  passing  through  on  their  way  to 
Germany.  Several  regiments  of  the  Young  Guard 
came  to  Brussels  and  remained  there.  Other  regiments 
only  passed  through  the  city.  Instructions  were  re- 
ceived to  bring  together  the  farmers'  wagons  hitched 
to  four  horses.  Sometimes  the  order  was  received  only 
in  the  morning,  and  it  was  necessary  the  same  even- 
ing to  have  eighty  or  one  hundred  wagons  assembled, 
provided  with  forage  for  two  days.  The  gendarmes 
had  to  gallop  in  every  direction  to  notify  the  farmers. 
The  latter,  obliged  to  leave  their  plows,  and  their 
work,  were  in  very  bad  humor.  But  who  would  have 
dared  to  resist.^  The  thought  never  occurred  to  any 
one  from  Bayonne  to  Hamburg.  We  served  several 
substantial  meals  to  the  corps  of  officers  who  came 
at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  and  left  at  midnight. 
Doubtless  very  few  of  these  brave  fellows  ever  re- 
turned from  this  disastrous  campaign. 

No  one  had  any  idea  that  the  French  army  would 
go  as  far  as  Moscow.  Therefore,  when  my  husband, 
upon  his  return  from  a  trip  of  several  days  to  Paris, 
brought  back  a  very  fine  map  of  Poland  and  Russia, 
we  were  astonished  that  Lapie  had  added  upon  the 
margin  a  little  square  of  paper  on  which  was  the 
name  of  Moscow.  The  map  did  not  go  as  far  as 
the  meridian  of  that  city,  and  when  pinned  to  the 
draperies  of  the  salon,  every  one  thought  that  this 
precaution  on  the  part  of  the  map-maker  was  very 
unnecessary.  It  was  a  prognostic! 

During  the  last  months  of  this  same  year,  young 
Auguste  de  Liedekerke-Beaufort  paid  very  marked 

[368] 


J.,,,. ,, — 


1790  -    ISIG 


^^^r^i^i  "^  ji  L 


AN  AUDIENCE   Wnil    NAPOLEON 

attentions  to  my  elder  daugliter  Cliarlottc,  who  at 
this  time  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  She  was  very  tall, 
and  without  being  pretty  had  a  very  distinguished 
air.  She  was  a  noble  demoiselle  in  every  sense  of  the 
term.  In  this  affair  both  the  heart  and  mind  of  young 
Liedekerke  were  involved.  He  felt  that  Mile,  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin,  with  her  personal  charms,  her  name 
and  her  connections,  although  without  fortune,  suited 
him  better  than  some  good  Belgian  girl  who  was  very 
rich  and  very  obscure.  He  declared  to  his  parents 
that  he  would  not  marry  any  other  woman  than  my 
daughter.  His  father  raised  some  objections,  but  his 
mother  in  the  hope  that  the  political  career  of  her 
son  would  be  favored  by  a  marriage  which  would 
take  him  out  of  his  country,  obtained  the  consent 
of  her  husband.  The  first  day  of  the  year  1813,  at 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Mme.  de  Liedekerke 
was  announced.  She  demanded  the  hand  of  my 
daughter  for  her  son.  I  was  prepared  for  this 
request  which  I  received  and  agreed  to  with 
pleasure.  Mme.  de  Liedekerke  wished  to  see  my 
daughter  whom  she  embraced  and  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  the  marriage  should  take  place  within 
six  weeks. 

My  daughter  Cecile  was  at  the  Convent  of  the 
Dames  de  Berlaimont  where  she  had  been  for  six 
months  preparing  for  her  first  communion.  I  promised 
to  take  her  out  the  day  of  her  sister's  marriage.  At 
the  same  time  we  received  news  that  Humbert,  then 
sous-prefet  at  Florence,  had  just  been  named  as  sous- 
prefet  at  Sens,  Department  of  the  Yonne.  This  news 
filled  the  measure  of  our  contentment. 

[  369  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

My  husband  had  gone  to  Nivelles  to  be  present  at 
the  drawing  of  the  conscription  necessitated  by  the 
continuation  of  the  war  which  the  Emperor  had 
undertaken.  I  was  alone  at  home  before  luncheon 
when  I  saw  the  secretaire-general  of  the  Prefecture 
enter  with  a  dejected  face.  He  informed  me  that  the 
courier  from  Paris  had  just  brought  word  of  the  dis- 
missal of  my  husband  and  of  his  replacement  by 
Monsieur  d'Houdetot,  Prefet  of  Ghent. 

This  news  struck  me  like  a  thunder  clap,  and  in  it 
I  saw  at  the  first  moment  a  cause  of  breaking  off  the 
marriage  of  my  daughter.  However,  I  made  up  my 
mind  not  to  yield  without  a  fight.  Without  awaiting 
the  return  of  my  husband  to  whom  I  sent  a  courier, 
I  decided  to  leave  at  once  for  Paris.  I  owe  it  to  Mon- 
sieur de  Liedekerke,  to  state  that  he  came  to  see  me 
with  an  eagerness  and  a  warmth  which  must  surprise 
him  now,  if  he  recalls  this  circumstance,  to  beg  me 
not  to  change  our  plans  in  any  respect. 

I  left  my  aunt  and  Mme.  de  Maurville  to  pack 
everything  which  belonged  to  us  in  the  Prefecture, 
and  at  four  o'clock  I  set  out  for  Paris.  I  had  had  so 
many  things  to  do  and  to  arrange  in  the  space  of 
two  hours,  that  I  was  already  fatigued  when  I  set 
out.  The  night  passed  in  a  wretched  chaise  de  poste 
and  the  anxiety  caused  by  our  new  position  gave  me 
quite  a  high  fever,  with  which  I  arrived  at  Paris  at 
ten  o'clock  in  the  evening.  I  went  to  the  house  of 
Mme.  de  Duras  whom  I  found  out.  Her  daughters 
had  just  gone  to  bed.  They  arose  and  sent  some  one 
in  search  of  their  mother  who  on  returning  found  me 
lying  on  her  sofa  worn  out  with  fatigue.  There  was 

C  370  ] 


AN  AUDIENCE  WITH  NAPOLEON 

no  room  in  the  apartment  to  lodge  me,  but  she  had 
the  key  of  the  apartment  of  the  Chevalier  de  Thuisy, 
our  common  friend.  My  femme  de  chambre  and  the 
servant  who  had  followed  me  went  and  prepared  a 
bed  in  which  I  took  refuge  at  once, but  without  finding 
the  repose  of  which  I  had  great  need.  The  next  morn- 
ing at  an  early  hour,  Mme.  de  Duras  came  with 
Doctor  Auvity  whom  she  had  summoned.  He  found 
that  I  still  had  a  good  deal  of  fever.  But  I  told  him 
that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  get  me  on  my  feet 
at  no  matter  what  cost,  and  that  I  must  be  in  a  state 
to  go  to  Versailles  before  night.  He  then  gave  me  a 
calming  draft  which  caused  me  to  sleep  until  five 
o'clock.  I  do  not  know  in  what  state  of  health  I  then 
found  myself,  but  at  any  rate  I  did  not  pay  any 
attention  to  it. 

I  had  a  carriage  called  and,  dressed  in  a  very 
elegant  toilette,  I  went  in  search  of  Mme.  de  Duras. 
We  set  out  at  once  for  Versailles  where  the  Emperor 
was  staying  at  Trianon.  We  stopped  at  an  inn,  Rue 
de  rOrangerie,  where  they  put  us  together  in  an 
apartment.  I  at  once  opened  my  ink-stand.  Mme.  de 
Duras,  to  whom  I  had  confided  only  my  desire  to 
have  an  audience  with  His  Majesty,  saw  me  take  a 
fine  large  sheet  of  paper  and  then  copy  a  rough  draft 
which  I  had  drawn  from  my  portfolio,  and  said  to  me: 
"To  whom  are  you  writing.^"  ''To  whom?"  I  replied, 
"apparently  to  the  Emperor.  I  do  not  like  small 
measures." 

The  letter  written  and  sealed,  we  again  got  into  a 
carriage  to  take  it  to  Trianon.  There  I  asked  for  the 
chamberlain  on  duty.  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to 

C371  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

prepare  a  little  note  for  him.  By  a  fortunate  chance 
he  was  Adrien  de  Mun  who  was  one  of  my  best 
friends.  He  approached  the  carriage  and  promised 
me  that  at  ten  o'clock,  when  the  Emperor  came  from 
tea  with  the  Empress,  he  would  hand  him  my  letter. 
He  kept  his  promise  and  was  as  satisfied  as  he  was 
surprised  when,  on  looking  at  the  address.  Napo- 
leon said,  speaking  to  himself:  "Mme.  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  writes  very  well.  It  is  not  the  first  time  that 
I  have  seen  her  hand-writing."  These  words  con- 
firmed my  suspicion  that  a  certain  letter  written  to 
Mme.  d'Henin  had  been  seized  before  arriving  at 
its  destination. 

After  our  trip  to  Trianon,  we  returned  to  our  hotel. 
About  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  while  Claire  and  I 
were  debating  as  to  whether  I  would  have  my  audi- 
ence,"yes"  or  "no,"  the  hotel  waiter  who  up  to  that 
moment  had  considered  us  as  simple  mortals,  opened 
the  door  and  cried:  "De  la  part  de  I'Empereur!" 

The  same  moment  a  man  covered  with  gold  lace 
entered  and  said:  "His  Majesty  awaits  Mme.  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  tomorrow  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

The  good  news  did  not  trouble  my  slumber.  On 
the  following  morning,  after  having  drunk  a  large 
bowl  of  coff^ee,  which  Claire  had  prepared  with  her 
own  hands  to  brace  me  up,  as  she  said,  I  set  out  for 
Trianon.  I  had  to  wait  ten  minutes  in  the  salon 
which  preceded  the  one  where  Napoleon  received.  I 
was  very  glad  to  find  no  one  there  for  I  had  need  of 
this  moment  of  solitude  to  arrange  my  thoughts.  A 
conversation  en  tete  a  tete  with  this  extraordinary 
man  was  an  event  of  great  importance  in  my  life, 

[372] 


AN   AUDIENCE   Wnil    NAPOLEON 

and  nevertheless  1  declare  here  in  all  the  sincerity 
of  my  heart,  perhaps  with  j)ride,  that  I  did  not  feel 
in  the  least  embarrassed.  The  door  opened;  the  usher, 
by  a  gesture,  made  me  a  sign  to  enter  and  then  closed 
the  double  door  behind  me.  I  found  myself  in  the 
presence  of  Napoleon.  He  advanced  to  meet  me  and 
said  with  quite  a  pleasant  air: 

"Madame,  I  am  afraid  that  you  are  very  much 
displeased  with  me." 

I  inclined  my  head  in  sign  of  assent  and  the  con- 
versation began.  Having  lost  the  notes  which  I  wrote 
of  this  long  audience  which  lasted  fifty-nine  minutes 
by  the  clock,  after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years  I  am 
not  able  to  remember  all  the  details  of  the  interview. 
The  Emperor  endeavored,  in  short,  to  prove  to  me 
that  he  had  been  forced  to  act  as  he  had  done.  Then 
I  pictured  to  him  in  a  few  words  the  state  of  society 
at  Brussels,  the  consideration  which  my  husband  had 
acquired  there  compared  with  all  the  preceding 
prefets,  the  visit  of  Real,  the  stupidity  of  General 
Chambarlhac  and  of  his  wife,  a  religieuse  dejroquee, 
and  so  on.  All  this  was  recited  rapidly,  and,  as  I  was 
encouraged  by  his  air  of  approbation,  I  ended  by 
announcing  to  the  Emperor  that  my  daughter  was 
going  to  marry  one  of  the  greatest  seigneurs  of 
Brussels.  Upon  which,  he  interrupted  me,  placing  his 
beautiful  hand  upon  my  arm,  and  said: 

"J'espere  que  cela  ne  fera  pas  manquer  le  mariage, 
et,  dans  ce  cas,  vous  ne  devriez  pas  le  regretter." 

Then  while  promenading  the  length  of  the  large 
salon,  while  I  followed,  walking  at  his  side,  he  pro- 
nounced  these   words    fand    it  is  perhaps  the  only 

[373  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

time  in  his  life  that  he  ever  said  them  and  the  privilege 
was  reserved  for  me  to  overhear  him) : 

"I  have  made  a  mistake,  but  what  can  I  do?' 

I  replied,  "Your  Majesty  can  repair  the  error.' 

Then  he  placed  his  hand  on  his  forehead  and  said: 
"Ah!  they  are  at  work  upon  the  prefectures;  the 
Minister  of  the  Interior  is  coming  this  evening." 

Then  he  mentioned  the  names  of  four  or  five  de- 
partments and  added:  "There  is  Amiens.  Will  that 
suit  you?" 

I  replied  without  hesitation:  "Perfectly,  Sire." 

"In  that  case,  it  is  arranged,"  said  he.  "You  can 
go  and  notify  Montalivet." 

And  with  that  charming  smile  of  which  so  much 
has  been  said:  "A  present,  m'avez-vous  pardonne?" 

I  replied  to  him  in  my  best  manner:  "J'ai  besoin 
aussi  que  Votre  Majeste  me  pardonne  de  lui  avoir 
parle  si  librement." 

"Oh!  vous  avez  tres  bien  fait." 

I  made  a  courtesy  and  he  went  to  the  door  which 
he  opened  for  me  himself. 

On  coming  out  I  found  Adrien  de  Mun  and  Juste 
de  Noailles,  who  asked  me  if  I  had  arranged  my 
business.  I  only  replied  that  the  Emperor  had  been 
very  kind  to  me.  Without  losing  time,  I  entered  my 
carriage  and  taking  Mme.  de  Duras  who,  unable  to 
overcome  her  impatience,  had  come  to  await  me  in 
an  alley  of  Trianon,  we  returned  to  Paris. 

After  having  left  Mme.  de  Duras  at  her  door,  I 
went  to  see  Monsieur  de  Montalivet,  where  I  arrived 
at  about  two-thirty  o'clock.  He  received  me  in  a 
friendly  manner,  but  with  a  very  sad  air,  saying: 

[374] 


AN  AUDIENCE  WITH   NAPOLEON 

"Ah  !  I  could  do  nothing  to  prevent  it.  The  Emperor 
is  very  displeased  with  your  husband.  They  have 
told  him  a  thousand  tales.  They  pretend  that  peoi)le 
went  to  your  house  as  to  a  Court." 

With  the  idea  of  amusing  myself  a  little  with  him, 
I  replied:  "But  would  it  not  be  possible  to  find 
another  place  for  my  husband.^" 

"Oh!  I  would  never  dare  to  propose  such  a  thing 
to  the  Emperor.  When  he  is  put  out  justly  or  unjustly 
with  any  one,  it  is  very  difficult  to  change  him." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  with  a  hypocritical  air,  "it  is 
necessary  to  bow  the  head.  However,  as  you  are 
going  to  Trianon  to  present  four  nominations  for 
prefets  to  be  signed  ..." 

"But,  how  do  you  know  that.^"  he  cried  hastily. 

Without  having  the  appearance  of  understanding, 
I  added:  "You  will  propose  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  for  the  prefecture  of  Amiens." 

He  looked  at  me  with  stupification  and  I  continued 
very  simply,  "The  Emperor  has  charged  me  to  tell 
you  that." 

Monsieur  de  Montalivet  gave  an  exclamation,  took 
my  hands  with  much  friendship  and  interest  and  at 
the  same  time  looking  at  me  from  head  to  foot: 

"Indeed,"  he  said,  "I  should  have  divined  that  that 
pretty  toilette  this  morning  was  not  intended  for  me." 

The  nomination  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
appeared  the  same  evening  in  the  "Moniteur,"  and 
I  received  the  compliments  of  all  the  people  of  my 
acquaintance  who  had  been  afflicted  by  the  news  of 
his  disgrace.  In  fact  this  dismissal  was  a  fortunate 
event  for  my  husband,  as  you  will  see  later  on. 

C375] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

I  remained  several  days  at  Paris  where  I  awaited 
my  husband  and  the  Comte  de  Liedekerke  who  came 
to  rejoin  me  for  the  signature  of  the  contract  of 
marriage.  At  this  time  there  was  an  Assembly  at 
Court  and  I  went  with  Mme.  de  Mun.  I  was  dressed 
very  simply,  without  a  single  gem,  contrary  to  the 
custom  of  the  ladies  of  the  Empire  who  were  covered 
with  jewels.  I  found  myself  placed  in  the  last  row  in 
the  Throne  Room  where  I  was  a  head  taller  than 
two  little  women  who  had  placed  themselves  un- 
ceremoniously before  me.  The  Emperor  entered.  He 
glanced  his  eyes  over  the  three  rows  of  ladies,  spoke 
to  several  with  an  inattentive  air,  and  then  having 
perceived  me,  he  smiled  in  that  manner  which  all 
the  historians  have  endeavored  to  describe  and  which 
was  truly  remarkable,  from  the  contrast  it  presented 
to  the  usual  expression  of  his  face  which  was  always 
serious  and  often  severe.  But  the  surprise  of  my 
neighbors  was  great  when  Napoleon,  still  smiling, 
addressed  to  me  these  words:  "Etes-vous  contente  de 
moi,  Madame?"  The  persons  who  surrounded  me 
then  withdrew  to  the  right  and  left,  and  I  found 
myself,  without  knowing  how,  in  the  front  rank.  I 
thanked  the  Emperor  in  an  accent  of  very  sincere 
gratitude.  After  several  very  amiable  words,  he 
passed  on.  This  was  the  last  time  I  saw  this  great  man. 

I  set  out  for  Brussels  where  I  was  very  desirous  of 
seeing  my  children,  and  where  I  had  besides  a  thou- 
sand things  to  do.  My  husband  went  by  way  of 
Amiens  to  prepare  for  our  installation.  He  then  came 
to  rejoin  me  with  Humbert,  who  was  back  from 
Florence  and  who  had  received  at  Paris  his  nomina- 

[376] 


AN  AUDIENCE   Will  I    NAPOLEON 

tion  as  sous-prefet  at  Sens.  Wlio  could  have  possibly 
foreseen  at  that  moment  that  ten  months  later  he 
would  be  chased  from  that  city  by  theWurtembergers? 

When  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  arrived  at 
Brussels,  he  found  me  settled  with  my  children  with 
the  Marquis  de  Trazegnies,  who  had  offered  us  a 
very  cordial  hospitality.  Monsieur  d'Houdetot  had 
announced,  without  delicacy,  that  he  would  take 
possession  of  the  Prefecture  the  second  day  after  the 
date  of  my  return  to  Brussels.  I  was  desirous  that 
he  should  find  no  vestige  of  our  sojourn  of  five  years 
in  the  house  which  he  was  to  inhabit.  Everything 
which  belonged  to  us  was  packed  and  dispatched.  As 
for  the  furniture  of  the  Prefecture,  every  article  had 
been  put  back  in  the  place  designated  by  the  in- 
ventory. Nothing  was  lacking.  Monsieur  d'Houdetot 
was  rather  put  out  by  this  exactitude  and  was  even 
more  disturbed  by  the  regrets  which  all  classes  loudly 
expressed  over  the  recall  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin.  He  found  a  pretext  to  return  to  Ghent,  and 
lived  there  until  after  our  departure  which  was  fixed 
for  the  second  of  April.  My  daughter  was  to  be 
married  the  twentieth.  My  husband  could  say  with 
Guzman: 

"J'etais  maitre  en  ces  lieux,  seul  j'y  commande 
encore." 

He  therefore  summoned  the  Chief  of  Police,  Mon- 
sieur Malaise,  and  enjoined  him  to  see  that  there  was 
no  manifestation,  too  pronounced,  on  the  part  of 
the  people  on  the  occasion  of  the  marriage  of  our 
daughter.  The  Mayor,  the  Due  D'Ursel,  to  the  same 
end,  fixed  an  advanced  hour  of  the  evening,  half  past 

C377] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

ten,  for  the  marriage  at  the  Municipahty.  This  did 
not  prevent  the  people  from  assembhng  in  crowds  in 
all  the  streets  through  which  we  were  to  pass  in 
going  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville  which  was  brilliantly 
illuminated.  On  all  sides  were  heard  only  expressions 
of  regret  and  kindness  in  connection  with  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin.  When  we  returned,  after  the  civil 
marriage  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  to  the  house  of  Mme. 
de  Trazegnies,  we  found  all  the  salons  of  the  ground 
floor  lighted  up  and  in  the  street  under  the  windows 
was  a  large  band  composed  of  all  the  musicians  of  the 
city  to  give  us  a  serenade.  My  husband  was  naturally 
very  much  pleased  at  this  manifestation  of  the  public 
good-will. 

The  following  day  my  daughter  was  married  in 
the  private  chapel  of  the  Due  d'Ursel.  After  a  fine 
dejeuner  attended  by  relatives  and  friends,  she  left 
with  her  husband  for  the  Chateau  de  Noisy,  situated 
near  Dinant  in  the  Belgian  Ardennes.  There  her 
father-in-law  had  preceded  her  by  several  hours.  I 
accompanied  them  as  far  as  Tirlemont. 

Up  to  this  moment,  I  have  not  spoken  again  of 
Monsieur  de  Chambeau,  our  friend  and  companion 
in  misfortune  during  our  emigration  to  America.  He 
had  fallen  into  possession  of  a  small  fortune  and  had 
passed  at  Brussels  the  greater  part  of  his  leisure 
time.  His  business,  however,  obliged  him  to  make 
long  sojourns  in  the  south  of  France.  For  a  year  past 
he  had  occupied  at  Antwerp  a  position  which 
was  temporary,  it  is  true,  but  which  held  out  the 
assurance  of  advancement.  When  he  learned  of  the 
catastrophe  which  forced  our  departure  from  Brussels 

C  378  ] 


AN  AUDIENCE   WITH   NAPOLEON 

so  suddenly,  he  came  at  once,  and,  knowing  the  bad 
state  of  our  affairs,  he  said  to  my  husband:  '"i'ou 
are  about  to  marry  your  daughter  and  at  the  same 
time  you  are  losing  your  position.  1  have  60,000  francs 
in  securities  which  I  have  brought  you.  Use  them  as 
your  own."  He  was  present  at  the  marriage  of  Char- 
lotte who  was  his  god-daughter. 

At  the  moment  I  write  these  lines,  at  Pisa,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1845,  I  do  not  know  anything 
more  about  this  excellent  man.  I  saw  him  again  ten 
years  ago  at  Paris.  At  this  time  he  was  living  in  a 
little  country  house  at  £pinay  where  he  had  fallen 
entirely  under  the  influence  of  two  young  serving 
maids  who  had  acquired  an  unfortunate  control  over 
his  old  age.  They  took  care  to  prevent  him  from 
coming  near  us.  Our  poor  friend  is  probably  no  longer 
living. 


C379] 


CHAPTER  FIFTEEN 
1813-1814 

RETURN  OF  THE  KING 

Society  at  Amiens. —  The  Prefecture. —  General  Dupont. — 
Arrival  of  the  Cossacks. —  Conversation  with  Talleyrand. — ■ 
His  Hatred  of  Napoleon. —  Flight  of  Humbert  from  Sens. — 
In  the  Ante-chamber  of  Talleyrand. —  "Vive  le  Roi!" — 
Distribution  of  White  Cockades. —  Preparations  for  the 
Reception  of  the  King. —  The  King  Enjoys  His  Dinner. — 
Ill-nature  of  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme. —  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  Re-enters  Diplomacy. —  Humbert  is  Ap- 
pointed Lieutenant  of  the  Black  Musketeers. 

IT  was  in  the  month  of  April,  1813,  that  we  arrived 
at  Amiens  where  we  were  destined  to  see  happen 
events  which  we  were  far  from  looking  for.  Here 
we  found  our  brother-in-law,  the  Marquis  de  Lameth, 
whose  friendship  had  already  assured  us  a  very 
favorable  reception  on  the  part  of  the  nobility  and 
of  the  people  of  importance  in  the  city,  who  up  to 
then  had  been  very  much  dissatisfied  with  their 
Prefets. 

The  house  set  apart  for  the  Prefecture  was  charm- 
ing. It  had  just  been  entirely  refurnished  with  ele- 
gance and  luxury.  The  ground  floor  comprised  a 
complete  apartment  where  I  lived  with  my  husband. 
On  one  side  was  the  cabinet  of  the  Prefet,  communi- 
cating with  the  bureaus.  The  house  looked  out  on  a 
magnificent  garden  of  seven  or  eight  acres,  well 

[380] 


RETURN  OF  THE   KING 

cultivated.  This  gave  us  almost  the  pleasure  of  being 
in  the  country. 

The  first  days  of  summer  passed  very  agreeably. 
We  often  went  to  dinner  in  the  neighborhood  with 
friends  who  resided  there  during  the  fine  season.  iMy 
daughter  Cecile,  who  was  thirteen  years  of  age  at 
this  time,  already  showed  very  great  talent  for  music 
and  also  had  a  charming  voice  of  great  compass. 
During  the  five  years  that  we  had  passed  at  Brussels 
I  had  given  her  an  excellent  teacher  in  Italian. 
Formerly  from  Rome  and  not  knowing  French,  he 
had  taught  my  daughter  to  use  the  fine  Roman  idiom. 
She  expressed  herself  in  this  language  with  facility. 
Charlotte  and  she  also  read  not  only  Italian,  but  also 
English.  We  were  very  well  settled  at  Amiens  when 
we  commenced  to  hear  the  grimibling  of  the  storm. 
Every  one  was  so  confident  of  the  fortunes  of  Na- 
poleon, that  the  idea  did  not  occur  to  any  one  to 
admit  that  he  could  possibly  have  any  other  enemy 
to  fear  than  the  frosts  that  had  been  so  fatal  to  him 
during  the  Russian  campaign. 

However,  after  the  Battle  of  Leipsic,  there  began 
the  requisitions,  the  enlisting  of  men  and  the  organi- 
zation of  Guards  of  Honor.  This  last  measure  caused 
desolation  among  the  families. 

Under  these  circumstances,  my  husband  had  need 
of  all  his  firmness.  He  served  the  Government  in  good 
faith  and  the  thought  of  the  Restoration  had  not  yet 
occurred  to  his  mind.  He  neither  foresaw  it  nor 
desired  it.  All  the  faults  and  all  the  vices  which  had 
been  the  causes  of  the  First  Revolution  were  still 
too  fresh  in  his  memory  for  him  to  desire  to  see  the 

C381] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE   REVOLUTION 

exiled  Royal  Family  return,  bringing  in  its  train  the 
former  weakness  and  abuses  of  all  kinds.  The  expres- 
sion, so  well  justified:  "They  have  learned  nothing 
and  forgotten  nothing,"  often  came  to  his  mind. 
However,  he  endeavored  so  far  as  possible  to  mitigate 
the  application  of  the  rules  for  the  organization  of 
the  Guards  of  Honor.  The  greatest  resistance  to 
certain  measures  was  found  among  the  rich  classes, 
and  I  often  heard  him  say:  "They  give  their  children 
more  willingly  than  their  money."  In  a  city  devoted 
to  the  manufacture  of  woolens,  like  Amiens,  the 
requisitions  were  very  burdensome,  and  my  husband 
suspected  above  all  things  the  greediness  and  the 
rascality  of  the  requisitionnaires . 

The  cannon  of  Laon  which  we  heard  at  Amiens 
gave  us  the  first  news  of  the  invasion  of  French 
territory.  Several  days  later.  Monsieur  d'Houdetot, 
the  Prefet  of  Brussels,  fleeing  before  the  invasion, 
entered  our  salon  one  evening,  at  the  very  moment 
that  the  Receiver  General,  Monsieur  d'Haubersaert, 
who  saw  everything  in  a  rosy  light,  was  saying  to  us 
that  he  had  just  received  a  letter  from  Brussels  and 
that  Belgium  was  in  no  danger  of  a  coup  de  main. 

Soon  afterwards,  we  were  informed  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  corps  of  Cossacks  commanded  by 
General  Geismar,  in  the  plains  around  the  city.  It 
was  at  this  time  that  General  Dupont  passed  through 
Amiens,  under  the  escort  of  the  gendarmes.  He  had 
previously  been  transferred  from  the  Chateau  of 
Joux,  where  Napoleon  had  had  him  confined  after 
the  capitulation  of  Baylen,  to  the  citadel  of  Doullens. 
They  were  now  conducting  him  to  Tours,  in  order 

[  382  ] 


THE   RETURN  OE  THE    KING 

that  he  might  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Allies. 
He  did  not  go  any  further  than  Paris,  however,  and 
the  severity  with  which  he  was  treated  made  his 
fortune. 

The  Cossacks  approached  so  near  to  Amiens  that 
they  could  be  seen  from  the  tower  of  the  Cathedral. 
The  squadron  of  cavalry  in  garrison  in  the  city, 
commanded  by  our  worthy  Major,  presented  such  a 
formidable  appearance  that  they  did  not  appear 
again. 

My  aunt,  Mme.  d'Henin,  was  settled  for  the 
autumn  at  the  Chateau  of  Mouchy,  near  Beauvais 
with  her  friend  the  Princesse  de  Poix.  Mme.  de  Duras 
was  also  there  with  her  daughters,  and  they  invited 
me  to  come  and  pass  several  jays.  My  husband 
urged  me  to  accept  and  asked  me  to  return  by  way 
of  Paris,  to  see  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  and  ascertain 
the  news.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  sent  him  a 
note  by  Merlin  de  Thionville,  but  this  note  was  so 
nonsensical,  and  the  reputation  of  the  bearer  was  so 
bad,  that  my  husband,  averse  to  all  intrigue,  was 
afraid  of  being  drawn,  in  spite  of  himself,  into  some 
adventure  of  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  who  hesitated 
at  nothing  and  who  willingly  pushed  other  people 
forward  while  quite  ready  to  abandon  them  later  on 
to  save  himself. 

I  accordingly  set  out  for  Mouchy  where  I  remained 
three  days.  I  left  in  the  morning  after  breakfast  to 
return  to  Amiens  by  way  of  Paris.  Not  wishing  to 
pass  the  night  there,  I  stopped  at  the  apartment  of 
Monsieur  de  Lally  who  was  at  Mouchy. 

[383] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

After  the  time  necessary  to  make  a  slight  change 
in  my  toilette,  I  went  to  see  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand 
whom  I  found  alone  in  his  room.  He  received  me  as 
always  with  that  familiar  grace  which  he  has  ever 
shown  towards  me.  People  have  said  many  hard 
things  of  him,  and  perhaps  he  has  merited  even 
worse,  so  that  the  expression  of  Montesquieu  regard- 
ing Caesar  could  well  be  applied  to  him:  "Mais  cet 
homme  extraordinaire  avait  tant  de  grandes  qualites, 
sans  pas  un  defaut,  quoiqu'il  eut  bien  des  vices." 
Well,  in  spite  of  everything,  he  possessed  a  charm 
which  I  have  never  found  in  any  other  man.  It  was 
all  very  well  to  be  armed  at  all  points  against  his 
immorality,  his  conduct,  his  life,  against  everything 
with  which  he  was  reproached,  nevertheless,  he  at- 
tracted you  as  a  bird  is  fascinated  by  the  eye  of  the 
serpent. 

There  was  nothing  particularly  remarkable  about 
our  conversation  that  day.  I  noticed  only  that  he 
repeated  with  a  certain  affectation  that  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  was  "well,  very  well"  to  be  at 
Amiens.  I  informed  him  of  my  intention  to  leave  in 
the  morning.  He  told  me  not  to  do  so.  The  Emperor 
was  expected  in  the  course  of  the  next  day,  he  would 
see  him  and  would  come  to  find  me  after  his  Interview 
and  would  let  me  know  at  what  hour  I  could  com- 
mand my  post  horses,  which  would  certainly  not  be 
before  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  returned  home  very  much  put  out  at  being  kept 
another  twenty-four  hours  in  Paris.  After  having 
written  my  husband  to  notify  him  of  this  delay,  I 
endeavored  to  occupy  the  morning  of  the  day  follow- 

[384] 


THE   RETURN  OF  THE   KING 

ing  in  going  to  breakfast  with  my  good  friend  Mme. 
de  Maurville  and  in  making  several  calls. 

At  ten  o'clock  my  horses  were  attached  and  wait- 
ing at  the  door.  The  postillion  was  beginning  to  get 
impatient,  as  well  as  I  myself,  when  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand  arrived. 

"What  folly  to  set  out  in  this  cold!"  he  said. 
"And  above  all  things,  in  a  caleche.  But  whose 
apartment  is  this.?'* 

"That  of  Monsieur  de  Lally." 

Then,  taking  a  candle  from  the  table,  he  began  to 
look  at  the  engravings  which  were  hung  in  fine  frames 
around  the  room. 

''Ah!  Charles  H,  James  H,  just  so!"  And  he  put 
the  candle  back  on  the  table. 

"Mon  Dieu!"  I  cried  *'il  est  bien  question  de  Charles 
II,  de  Jacques  II !  Vous  avez  vu  I'Empereur.  Comment 
est-il.?  que  fait-il?  que  dit-il  apres  une  defaite?" 

"Oh!  laissez-moi  done  tranquille  avec  votre  Empe- 
reur.  C'est  un  homme  fini." 

"Comment  fini.?"  I  said.  "Que  voulez-vous  dire.?" 

"Je  veux  dire,"  he  replied,  "que  c'est  un  homme 
qui  se  cachera  sous  son  lit!" 

This  expression  at  the  moment  did  not  surprise 
me  so  much  as  at  the  end  of  our  conversation.  1  in- 
deed knew  the  hatred  and  rancor  of  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand  towards  Napoleon,  but  never  had  I  heard 
him  express  himself  with  so  much  bitterness.  I  asked 
him  a  thousand  questions  to  which  he  replied  only 
by  the  words : 

"II  a  perdu  tout  son  materiel  ...  II  est  a  bout. 
Voila  tout." 

C385] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Then,  searching  in  his  pocket,  he  brought  out  a 
paper  printed  in  EngHsh,  and,  while  putting  two  logs 
on  the  fire,  he  added: 

"Let  us  burn  a  little  more  of  the  wood  of  poor 
Lally.  Since  you  know  English,  read  this  passage 
for  me." 

At  the  same  time  he  indicated  quite  a  long  article 
marked  with  a  pencil  on  the  margin.  I  took  the  paper 
and  read: 

"Dinner  given  by  the  Prince  Regent  to  Mme.  la 
Duchesse  d'Angouleme." 

I  stopped  and  raised  my  eyes  to  his.  He  had  his 
usual  impassible  countenance. 

"Go  on  and  read.  Your  postillion  is  getting  im- 
patient.'' 

I  resumed  my  reading.  The  article  gave  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  dining  room  hung  in  sky-blue  satin  with 
bouquets  of  lilies,  the  top  of  the  table  entirely  deco- 
rated with  this  same  royal  flower,  with  the  service  of 
Sevres  showing  views  of  Paris  and  so  on.  Arrived  at 
the  end,  I  stopped  and  looked  at  him  like  one  stupe- 
fied. He  took  the  paper  back,  folded  it  slowly,  put  it 
back  in  his  vast  pocket  and  said,  with  that  sly  and 
malicious  smile  which  he  alone  possessed: 

"Ah!  que  vous  etes  bete!  A  present  partez,  mais 
ne  vous  enrhumez  pas." 

Then  ringing,  he  said  to  my  valet  de  chambre: 
"Call  the  carriage  for  Madame." 

He  then  left  me,  crying  out  as  he  put  on  his  mantle : 

"Give  my  best  regards  to  Gouvernet.  I  send  him 
that  for  his  breakfast.  You  will  arrive  in  time." 

I  reached  Amiens  at  so  early  an  hour  that  my 

C386] 


THE   RETURN  OF  THE    KING 

husband  had  not  yet  risen.  Without  losing  a  moment 
I  related  to  him  the  above  conversation  which  had 
worried  me  during  the  night  to  such  a  degree  that 
I  could  not  sleep.  In  it  he  saw  the  explanation  of 
certain  perplexing  expressions  of  Merlin  de  Thion- 
ville,  and  enjoined  me  to  guard  as  the  most  absolute 
secret  what  1  had  learned,  for  if  it  was  by  such  means, 
he  said,  that  the  Bourbons  thought  they  could 
mount  the  throne,  they  would  not  remain  there  long. 

A  little  later,  my  husband  ordered  Humbert  to 
leave  for  Paris  to  secure  further  news.  My  son  had 
been  at  Amiens  for  two  weeks.  Driven  from  his  sous- 
prefecture  by  the  Wiirtembergers,  he  had  taken 
refuge  with  us  in  order  to  care  for  his  health  which 
had  been  compromised  by  an  attack  of  pleurisy 
which  he  contracted  at  Sens  and  of  which  he  had 
been  very  ill  when  the  enemy  approached  that  city. 

Humbert  arrived  at  the  residence  of  Monsieur 
de  Talleyrand,  at  Paris,  at  the  very  moment  that 
the  latter  was  receiving  as  his  guest  the  Emperor 
Alexander.  He  passed  the  night  on  a  bench  which 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  had  assigned  to  him,  in  en- 
joining him  not  to  move,  so  that  he  could  find  him  at 
hand  when  he  thought  that  the  time  had  come  for  him 
to  return  to  Amiens.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  tapped  him  on  the  shoulder. 
Humbert  saw  that  he  was  fully  dressed. 

*' Leave,"  he  said,  "with  a  white  cockade,  and  cr\- 
'Vive  le  Roil' " 

Humbert  was  not  sure  that  he  was  entirely  awake. 
Shaking  himself,  he  set  out  nevertheless  and  arrived 

[387] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

at  Amiens,  where  the  news  of  the  events  had  already 
been  received,  and  where  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du 
Pin  was  not  entirely  sure  what  position  he  was 
going  to  take.  But  the  voice  of  the  people  was  not 
long  in  making  Itself  heard.  The  requisitions,  the 
Guards  of  Honor  and  so  on  had  exasperated  all 
classes  of  society.  In  an  Instant,  as  by  an  electric 
movement,  cries  of  "Vive  le  Rol!"  issued  from  all 
mouths.  People  rushed  to  the  court  of  the  Prefecture 
to  demand  white  cockades  with  which  Humbert,  on 
leaving  Paris,  had  filled  the  coffers  of  his  caleche. 
The  supply  was  soon  exhausted. 

During  the  day,  when  the  news  of  the  arrival  of 
Louis  XVIII  became  known,  people  began  to  pay 
us  marked  attention.  Several  days  after,  when  they 
learned  that  the  Prefet  had  left  for  Boulogne  to  await 
the  arrival  of  the  King,  and  that  His  Majesty  would 
stop  at  Amiens  and  that  he  would  pass  the  night  at 
the  Prefecture,  a  large  number  of  people  came  to 
offer  me  articles  of  every  nature  which  could  be  used 
to  ornament  or  embellish  the  house,  such  as  clocks, 
vases,  pictures,  flowers  and  so  on. 

Monsieur  de  Duras,  having  been  designated  to 
take  up  his  service  with  the  King  as  Gentleman  of 
the  Chamber,  had  passed  through  the  city  to  go  and 
await  the  King  at  Boulogne.  In  spite  of  so  many 
changes,  he  had  preserved  all  the  prejudices,  all  the 
hatred,  all  the  littleness,  all  the  rancors  of  other  days, 
as  if  there  had  never  been  a  Revolution. 

Monsieur  de  Poix  had  also  taken  the  road  for 
Boulogne,  but  he  stopped  at  Amiens,  very  much 
disturbed  as  to  the  reception  which  he  might  receive 

C388] 


THE   RETURN  OF  THE    KING 

from  the  King,  on  account  of  his  son  who  was 
Chamberlain  of  the  Emperor,  and  of  his  daughter- 
in-law  who  had  been  Lady  of  the  Palace  of  the 
Empress.  But  I  had  no  time  to  raise  his  courage,  and 
I  confided  to  my  daughter,  Charlotte,  the  task  of 
talking  with  him  while  I  superintended  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  table  of  twenty-five  covers,  which  the 
King  was  to  honor  with  his  presence.  I  was  in  the 
dining-room  when  a  gentleman  entered  and  said 
several  words  to  my  servant  in  a  tone  which  dis- 
pleased me.  Approaching  him,  I  demanded  uncere- 
moniously why  he  was  interfering.  He  endeavored  to 
make  an  impression  on  me  by  saying  that  he  be- 
longed to  the  suite  of  the  King.  His  surprise  was  very 
great  when  he  learned  that  I  was  determined  to 
remain  mistress  of  my  house  and  that  I  was  little 
disposed  to  let  him  give  orders  there.  He  went  away 
grumbling.  It  was  Monsieur  de  Blacas. 

A  word  from  my  husband  had  told  me  that  the 
King  had  received  him  with  much  kindness,  and  that 
he  was  quartered  at  the  Prefecture  with  the  Duchesse 
d'Angouleme.  All  was  ready  at  the  appointed  hour. 
Twelve  young  ladies  of  the  city,  at  the  head  of  whom 
was  my  daughter  Ceclle,  were  waiting  to  present 
their  bouquets  to  Madame. 

The  carriage  In  which  were  the  King  and  Madame 
was  drawn  by  the  company  of  millers  of  Amiens  who 
had  demanded  this  ancient  privilege.  These  worthy 
fellows,  to  the  number  of  fifty  or  sixty,  all  attired  at 
their  own  expense  In  new  costumes  of  gray-white 
cloth,  with  large  hats  of  white  felt,  then  drew  the 
Royal  carriage  to  the  Cathedral  where  the  Bishop 

C389] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

entoned  the  Te  Deum.  The  doors  of  the  Church  had 
been  kept  closed  and  were  not  opened  until  the 
moment  when  the  King  was  seated  in  his  armchair 
at  the  foot  of  the  altar.  Then,  in  less  than  a  moment, 
this  immense  church  was  filled  to  such  a  point  that 
there  was  not  room  for  another  person. 

In  thinking  at  this  writing  of  the  innumerable 
stupidities  which  later  precipitated  his  brother, 
Charles  X,  from  the  throne,  I  have  almost  a  feel- 
ing of  shame  at  the  recollection  of  the  emotion 
which  I  felt  on  seeing  this  old  man  thanking  God 
for  having  replaced  him  upon  the  throne  of  his 
fathers.  Madame  knelt  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  in 
tears,  and  my  heart  shared  the  sentiments  which  she 
felt.  Alas!  this  illusion  did  not  endure  for  twenty- 
four  hours. 

The  flour-dealers  then  conducted  the  King  to  the 
Prefecture  where  he  received  the  whole  city,  men 
and  women,  before  dinner,  with  that  grace,  with  that 
presence  of  mind,  with  that  charm  which  eminently 
distinguished  him.  At  seven  o'clock  we  sat  down  at 
the  table.  The  dinner  was  excellent,  the  wines  perfect, 
which  particularly  pleased  the  King,  and  which 
brought  me  many  kind  compliments.  It  was  then  for 
the  first  time  that  this  simple  provincial  gentleman, 
Monsieur  de  Blacas,  who  had  thought  that  he  could 
issue  his  commands,  discovered  that  in  the  wife  of 
the  Prefet  he  had  to  deal  with  a  former  Lady  of 
Honor.  He  was  very  much  confused  by  his  mistake 
and  paid  me  a  thousand  compliments  in  the  endeavor 
to  make  me  forget  his  first  attitude,  but  without 
success. 

C  390  ] 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE   KING 

My  cousin,  Edward  Jcrningham,  and  his  charming 
wife,  had  accompanied  the  King  from  England  to 
France,  and  His  Majesty  stated  w  ith  mucli  kindness 
that  Edward  had  been  of  great  service  to  his  cause, 
in  the  English  journals,  by  the  articles  which  he  had 
written,  which  had  had  a  very  great  success.  Both 
Edward  and  his  wife  suggested  that  the  extremely 
English  costume  of  Madame  would  displease  the 
Court  of  Napoleon,  which  was  united  at  Compiegne 
to  await  the  new  sovereign.  Both  of  them  represented 
the  necessity  of  not  alienating  sympathy  at  the  very 
beginning.  At  their  suggestion  I  spoke  of  the  matter 
to  Mile,  de  Choisy,  Lady  of  Honor  to  Madame,  and 
to  Monsieur  de  Blacas  who  spoke  about  it  to  the 
King.  But  nothing  could  overcome  the  obstinacy  of 
this  Princesse. 

My  son-in-law  had  ceased  to  be  a  Frenchman  and 
had  now  become  a  subject  of  the  new  King  of  the 
Low  Countries,  William  the  First,  who  was  the  same 
Prince  d'Orange  whom  I  had  seen  in  England  under 
very  different  circumstances.  He  returned  with  my 
daughter  to  Brussels  to  his  family,  and  this  separa- 
tion was  very  grievous  to  me.  I  went  back  to  Paris 
and  we  established  ourselves,  my  husband  and  I,  in 
a  pretty  apartment,  6  Rue  de  Varenne,  where  my 
son  Humbert  was  also  located. 

The  very  evening  of  my  arrival,  I  went  with  Mme. 
de  Duras  to  a  fete  which  was  given  by  Prince  Schwar- 
zenberg,  Generalissimo  of  the  Austrian  troops.  There 
I  saw  all  the  conquerors  and  was  witness  of  all  the 
baseness  with  which  they  were  surrounded  and  so  to 
speak  overwhelmed.  What  a  curious  spectacle  for  a 

[391  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

philosophical  mind!  Everything  recalled  Napoleon: 
the  furniture,  the  supper,  the  guests.  The  thought 
came  to  me  that  among  all  those  who  were  united 
there,  there  were  some  who  had  trembled  before  the 
Emperor  when  he  had  vanquished  them,  and  others 
who  had  formerly  solicited  his  favor  or  even  his 
smile,  and  that  there  was  not  one  present  who  seemed 
worthy  to  be  his  conqueror.  Certainly  the  situation 
was  interesting,  although  profoundly  sad.  Mme.  de 
Duras  saw  in  it  only  the  happiness  of  being  the  wife 
of  the  First  Gentleman  of  the  King's  Chamber.  The 
fall  of  the  great  man,  the  invasion  of  her  country,  the 
humiliation  of  being  the  host  of  the  conquerors  did 
not  appear  to  trouble  her.  As  for  myself,  I  had  a 
feeling  of  shame  which  was  probably  not  shared  by 
any  one  else. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  foresaw  that  the 
administrative  career,  although  suited  to  his  taste, 
would  fall  into  a  class  inferior  to  that  in  which  he  had 
a  right  to  be  placed.  He  therefore  desired  to  resume 
his  rank  in  the  diplomatic  service  where  he  had  been 
before  the  Revolution.  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand, 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  proposed  to  him  the 
Embassy  to  The  Hague.  The  new  King  of  Holland 
desired  it,  and  my  husband  willingly  accepted  this 
post,  although  he  could  have  aspired  to  a  higher 
mission.  But  a  word  from  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand, 
telling  him  to  accept  it,  gave  him  to  understand  that 
he  was  destined  for  other  employment. 

My  son  Humbert  was  led  away,  alas,  by  the  charm 
of  entering  the  military  household  of  the  King. 
General  Dupont,  the  Minister  of  War,  was  a  former 

C392] 


THE   RETURN  OF  THE   KING 

aide  de  camp  of  my  father  and  professed  for  me  a 
great  attachment.  Humbert,  wlio  was  desirous  of 
being  married,  preferred  to  remain  at  Paris  rather 
than  to  go  elsewhere  to  be  Prefet  in  some  little  city 
at  a  distance.  He  was  appointed  Lieutenant  of  the 
Black  Musketeers,  a  name  which  came  from  the  color 
of  their  horses.  This  gave  him  the  grade  of  Chef 
d'Escadron  in  the  army. 


[393  ] 


CHAPTER  SIXTEEN 

1814-1815 

THE  FIRST  RESTORATION 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  Envoy  to  the  Congress  of  Vienna. — 
His  Wife  Accompanies  Him  to  Brussels. — ^  Alexandre  de 
Lameth,  Prefet  of  Amiens. —  Life  at  Paris. —  Monsieur  de 
Liedekerke  Decorated  with  the  Legion  of  Honor. —  Mme. 
de  Liedekerke  Leaves  for  Vienna  with  Her  Husband. —  The 
Court  of  Louis  XVIII. —  Two  Balls  at  the  Due  de  Berry's. 

—  Lord  Wellington. —  News  of  the  Debarkment  of  Na- 
poleon at  Cannes. —  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  Decides 
to  Leave  for  Brussels. —  She  Visits  the  Minister  of  Finance. 

—  A  Night  of  Anxiety. —  At  Brussels. —  Visit  to  the  King 
of  Holland. —  Separation  of  the  Congress  of  Vienna. — 
Mission  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  to  the  Due 
d'Angouleme. 

AT  the  time  it  was  decided  to  hold  the  Con- 
gress of  Vienna,  I  happened  to  be  one 
morning  in  the  cabinet  of  Monsieur  de 
Talleyrand.  My  husband  had  gone  to  Brussels  to  be 
present  at  the  coronation  of  the  new  King,  William 
the  First,  and  to  deliver  his  credentials.  He  was  to 
return  in  a  day  or  two. 

I  was  preparing  to  leave  the  cabinet  of  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs  and  had  already  placed  my  hand 
on  the  handle  of  the  door  to  open  it,  when  looking 
at  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand,  I  saw  upon  his  face  that 
expression  with  which  I  was  familiar  when  he  wished 
to  do  some  one  a  good  turn  in  his  line. 

[-394  ] 


THE   FIRST  RESTORATION 

"When  is  Gouvernct  coming  l)ackr"  he  said. 

"Why,  tomorrow,"  I  rej)hed. 

"Well!"  said  he,  "hasten  his  return,  because  he 
must  set  out  for  Vienna." 

"For  Vienna!"  I  exclaimed.  "And  why?" 

"You  understand  nothing.  He  is  going  as  Minister 
to  Vienna  while  waiting  for  the  Congress  to  open, 
when  he  will  be  one  of  the  Ambassadors." 

I  made  another  exclamation,  and  he  continued : 

"It  is  a  secret.  Do  not  speak  of  it  to  any  one,  and 
send  your  husband  to  me  as  soon  as  he  arrives." 

I  waited  impatiently,  keeping  the  secret  of  the 
good  news,  except  from  my  son  Humbert. 

This  nomination  aroused  a  great  deal  of  envious 
feeling  towards  my  husband.  Mme.  de  Duras  was 
wild.  She  would  like  to  have  seen  Monsieur  de 
Chateaubriand  obtain  the  post.  Adrien  de  Laval  was 
not  even  able  to  console  himself  with  the  promise  of 
the  Embassy  to  Spain.  Every  one  cried  out  that  it 
was  an  abuse  because  my  husband  had  also  kept  his 
place  at  The  Hague. 

We  decided  in  the  family,  though  with  great 
regret  on  my  part,  that  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
should  leave  alone  for  Vienna,  and  that  I  should 
remain  at  Paris  to  occupy  myself  with  the  marriage 
of  Humbert.  My  husband  wrote  to  Auguste,  our 
son-in-law,  who  was  desirous  of  entering  the  diplo- 
matic career  in  his  country,  and  invited  him  to  come 
to  Vienna,  either  as  his  private  secretary  or  simply  as 
a  looker-on,  since,  having  become  a  subject  of  the 
Low  Countries,  he  was  no  longer  French.  We  thought 
that  if  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du   Pin  remained  at 

[39s] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Vienna,  after  the  Congress,  we  would  have  no  dif- 
ficulty in  obtaining  from  the  King  of  Holland  a 
position  for  Auguste  as  attache  at  the  Vienna  Le- 
gation. These  projects,  like  many  others,  were  upset 
by  events  both  public  and  private.  It  was  arranged 
that  I  should  accompany  my  husband  as  far  as 
Brussels.  There  he  would  be  joined  by  his  son-in-law 
and  I  would  take  my  daughter  and  her  child  back  to 
Paris  with  me.  This  plan  was  carried  out. 

Our  trip  to  Brussels  and  back  passed  very  agree- 
ably, although  I  felt  very  sad  and  disappointed  at 
not  accompanying  my  husband  to  Vienna.  There  was 
no  reason  then  to  suppose  that  his  absence  would  be 
prolonged  as  it  was  in  reality.  Besides,  the  assurance 
had  been  given  me  that  two  special  couriers  would 
set  out  every  week  from  the  Foreign  Affairs  which 
permitted  me  to  hope  that  I  would  receive  regularly 
news  as  fresh  as  possible  from  my  husband. 

On  our  return  to  Paris,  we  found  news  from  our 
travellers.  I  settled  in  my  apartment  and  Charlotte 
took  possession  of  the  rooms  previously  occupied  by 
her  father. 

General  Dupont,  who  was  still  very  devoted  to  my 
interests,  arranged  to  have  the  cross  of  the  Legion 
of  Honor  given  to  Auguste,  as  a  reward  for  his 
excellent  services  as  Sous-Prefet  at  Amiens,  at  the 
moment  of  the  Restoration.  I  sent  it  to  him  at  Vienna, 
and  it  gave  him  great  pleasure. 

My  poor  Charlotte  had  the  misfortune  at  this  time 
to  lose  her  little  girl  who  was  carried  off  in  the  short 
space  of  two  days.  The  next  day.  Monsieur  de  Liede- 

C  396  ] " 


THE   FIRST  RESTORATION 

kerke  arrived  unexpectedly  from  Vienna  charged 
with  dispatches.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  set  out 
on  his  return  the  following  day.  The  despair  of 
Charlotte  over  the  loss  of  her  child  suggested  to  me 
the  thought  of  sending  her  to  Vienna  with  her 
husband.  As  her  father  loved  her  tenderly,  her 
presence  there  would  be  a  great  i)leasure  for  him  also. 
I  possessed  an  excellent  travelling  caleche.  I  took 
charge  of  the  purchase  and  packing,  in  all  details, 
of  the  elegant  toilettes  to  be  worn  by  my  daughter 
at  the  fetes  of  the  coming  Congress.  Besides,  I 
placed  at  her  disposal  my  maid  who  was  a  very 
experienced  person.  Thanks  to  my  usual  activity, 
the  resolution  once  made,  the  second  day  following 
my  daughter  was  ready  to  set  out.  She  left  for 
Vienna  with  her  husband,  who  was  carrying  dis- 
patches from  Monsieur  de  Talleyrand  who  had  not 
yet  left  Paris. 

I  remained  alone  with  Cecile,  then  fifteen  years  of 
age,  and  my  two  sons,  Humbert  and  Aymar. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  state  how  I  passed  my 
time  after  this  restoration  of  the  Monarchy.  I  went 
to  the  Tuileries  when  the  King  received  the  ladies, 
about  once  or  twice  a  week.  As  a  former  Dame  du 
Palais  of  the  Queen,  I  had  the  **  honors,"  that  is  to 
say,  instead  of  mingling  with  the  crowd  of  ladies  who 
were  assembled  in  the  first  salon,  called  '*  Diane," 
while  waiting  for  the  King  to  be  rolled  into  the  Throne 
Room,  for  he  was  not  able  to  walk,  I  took  my  place 
immediately,  as  well  as  the  other  women  who  enjoyed 
the  same  privilege,  on  the  benches  which  were  ar- 

C  397  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

ranged  around  the  Throne  Room.  There  we  found 
many  gentlemen  who  had  also  the  entrees,  and, 
seated  very  comfortably,  we  talked  until  the  moment 
when  the  King  was  announced,  when  we  rose  and 
took  a  more  conventional  and  respectful  attitude. 
Then  we  filed  one  by  one  before  the  Royal  arm- 
chair. The  King  always  had  something  droll  or  kind 
to  say  to  me. 

This  same  winter,  the  Due  de  Berry  gave  two  balls 
to  which  he  invited  all  the  principal  members  of  the 
Bonaparte  Party,  the  Duchesses  de  Rovigo,  de  Bas- 
sano  and  so  on.  None  of  them  danced  and  all  had  a 
very  disagreeable  air,  in  spite  of  the  advances  and 
the  attentions  of  the  Prince  and  his  aides  de  camp. 
Mme.  de  Duras  and  I  took  to  one  of  these  balls 
Albertine  de  Stael.  After  having  obtained  the  consent 
of  her  mother,  who,  in  spite  of  her  fifty  years,  was 
always  dressed  herself  like  a  tight-rope  dancer,  we 
had  been  permitted  to  dress  her  to  our  taste.  Every 
one  found  her  so  changed  and  so  improved  that  from 
that  time  on  she  abandoned  her  former  custom  of 
wearing  English  dresses.  The  Due  de  Broglie  fell  in 
love  with  her,  and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  was  at 
one  of  these  balls  that  he  decided  to  demand  her 
hand  in  marriage. 

Since  I  have  named  Mme.  de  Stael,  this  is  the 
moment  to  say  that  shortly  after  my  return  to  Paris, 
after  the  Restoration,  I  had  renewed  my  former 
acquaintance  with  her.  I  had  already  seen  her,  never- 
theless, in  1800,  when  I  arrived  from  England,  a 
little  before  the  time  when  Napoleon  obliged  her  to 
leave  Paris,  and  had  also  met  her  at  different  periods 

[  398  ] 


THE   FIRST  RKSTORATION 

since  then.  At  the  time  of  the  i8  Fructidor,  she  had 
shown  herself  very  Revolutionary,  carried  away  by 
her  intimate  relations  with  Benjamin  Constant.  Her 
last  transformation  had  been  accomplished  in  Eng- 
land whence  she  returned  a  Royalist.  She  received  at 
her  house  all  the  notable  j)ersonages  from  all  the 
countries  of  Europe  who  were  present  in  Paris  during 
the  winter  of  1 8 14  and  1815. 

I  happened  to  be  in  her  salon  the  evening  of  the 
day  when  the  Duke  of  Wellington  arrived  at  Paris. 
One  hundred  other  persons,  equally  curious  to  see 
this  personage,  already  well-known,  were  also  there. 
My  relations  with  the  Duke  went  back  to  my  child- 
hood. Our  ages  were  about  the  same,  and  Lady 
Mornington,  his  mother,  had  been  closely  associated 
with  my  grandmother,  Madame  de  Rothe.  Young 
Arthur  Wellesley,  his  sister  Lady  Anne  and  I 
had  passed  many  evenings  together.  Later  I  again 
met  Lady  Anne  in  England  at  Hampton  Court,  when 
I  went  to  see  the  old  Stadtholder,  the  Prince  d'Orange. 
I  was  received  by  the  Duke  as  an  old  friend.  In  this 
salon  where  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him,  but  where 
he  knew  hardly  any  one,  he  was  very  glad  to  find 
some  one  to  talk  with  him. 

During  the  sojourn  that  the  Duke  made  at  Paris, 
before  going  to  the  Congress  of  Vienna,  I  met  hini 
almost  every  day.  I  presented  my  son  Humbert  to 
him,  and  he  showed  him  much  kindness.  Humbert 
spoke  English  perfectly,  as  he  had  become  familiar 
with  this  language,  both  in  America  and  in  England. 
He  had  also  a  good  acquaintance  with  Italian.  This 
winter  when   Paris   was   full   of  strangers,   he   was 

C399] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

frequently  taken  for  either  an  Englishman  or  an 
Italian.  On  leaving  Paris,  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
set  out  for  the  Congress  where  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  was  already  present. 

One  evening  during  the  first  days  of  March,  I  was 
in  the  apartment  of  Mme.  de  Duras  at  the  Tuileries. 
There  were  many  people  there,  including  General 
Dulauloy  and  his  wife.  Mme.  Dulauloy  appeared  to 
fear  something  and  showed  a  great  desire  to  leave, 
especially  when  Monsieur  de  Duras  passed  through 
the  salon  after  the  King  had  retired.  She  rose  and 
left  the  room  taking  her  husband  with  her.  I  remained 
behind  and  waited  for  Mme.  de  Duras  to  return 
from  the  room  of  her  husband  where  she  had  fol- 
lowed him.  I  saw  that  she  was  very  much  troubled 
and  she  said  to  me : "  Something  terrible  has  happened, 
but  Amedee  is  not  willing  to  explain."  I  then  returned 
home  accompanied  by  Humbert  and  we  made  all  the 
conjectures  possible  except  the  right  one.  The  follow- 
ing morning  the  news  of  the  debarkation  of  Napoleon 
at  the  Golfe  Juan  spread  through  Paris.  The  news 
was  brought  by  Lord  Lucan.  Having  left  the  evening 
before  for  Italy,  at  several  stages  from  Paris,  he  met 
the  courier  who  was  coming  from  Lyon  with  the 
news.  He  immediately  turned  around  and  came  back 
to  Paris  where  he  spread  the  news. 

The  results  of  this  event  belong  to  the  domain  of 
history.  I  will  therefore  only  recount  those  which 
concern  me  personally. 

I  was  too  well  acquainted,  on  the  one  hand,  with 
the  Court,  and  on  the  other,  with  the  strength  of  the 

[400] 


THE    FIRST   RKSTORATION 

Napoleonic  Party,  t(j  have  for  a  moment  any  d(jLibts 
regarding  the  efficacy  of  the  measures  which  uould 
be  adopted. 

Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  although  one  of  the 
four  Ambassadors  of  France  at  the  Congress  of 
Vienna  and  employed  per  interim  in  the  dij)lomatic 
affairs  of  France,  in  Austria,  had  nevertheless  retained 
his  post  of  French  Minister  to  Holland.  I  felt  that  I 
could  not  remain  at  Paris  when  Napoleon  was  about 
to  arrive  there  and  that  I  ought  to  go  to  Brussels  or 
The  Hague.'My  plans  were  submitted  to  the  King  by 
Monsieur  de  Jaucourt,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
per  interim.  He  approved  of  my  purpose  and  I  there- 
fore prepared  to  leave. 

Humbert,  as  soon  as  the  departure  of  the  King  was 
decided  upon,  was  not  able  to  leave  the  quarters  of 
the  Musketeers.  Consequently,  I  was  obliged  to 
complete  alone  all  the  arrangements  for  my  trip 
which  I  was  about  to  undertake  with  my  daughter 
Cecile,  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  my  son  Aymar  who 
was  eight. 

In  the  evening,  I  went  to  the  bureau  of  the 
Minister  of  Finance  to  obtain  the  amount  of  the 
salary  due  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  which  I 
wished  to  take  with  me.  The  same  evening,  19  March, 
1815,  the  King  was  to  leave  at  midnight.  On  entering 
the  cabinet  of  the  Minister,  Monsieur  Louis,  with 
whom  I  had  been  well  acquainted  for  a  long  time, 
I  found  him  in  a  state  of  terrible  rage.  Showing  me  a 
hundred  little  barrels,  similar  to  those  in  which 
anchovies  are  sold,  he  said: 

"Look,  I  have  had  these  barrels  prepared,  each  of 

[401  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

which  contains  10,000  or  15,000  francs  in  gold.  I 
wished  to  confide  one  to  each  of  the  Body  Guard 
ordered  to  accompany  the  King,  and  these  gentlemen 
refused  to  take  charge  of  them,  under  the  pretext 
that  it  was  not  part  of  their  duty." 

While  saying  these  words,  he  signed  my  voucher 
for  the  sum  which  I  was  to  receive  at  once.  I  next 
took  the  money  to  my  man-of-affairs  in  order  to  have 
him  change  it  into  gold.  I  had  strongly  urged  Mon- 
sieur Louis  to  let  me  have  one  of  the  barrels  of  gold 
in  his  cabinet,  but  he  absolutely  refused.  When  I 
left  my  man-of-affairs,  which  was  after  nine  o'clock, 
he  told  me  to  come  back  at  eleven  o'clock  and  that 
he  would  then  give  me  the  gold  which  he  had  procured. 

I  then  went  to  see  my  aunt,  Madame  d'Henin,  who 
had  also  decided  to  leave,  to  make  my  adieux.  I 
found  her  in  company  with  Monsieur  de  Lally  in  a 
state  of  great  trouble,  packing,  gesticulating,  urging 
her  fat  friend  who  was  finishing  nothing.  On  seeing 
me  she  cried: 

"But  are  you  not  going  to  leave,  that  you  have 
such  a  tranquil  air.?" 

I  left  her  in  the  midst  of  her  packages  to  go  and 
take  leave  of  Monsieur  de  Jaucourt,  my  Minister,  to 
have  him  vise  my  passport  and  obtain  an  order  for 
the  post  horses,  a  very  necessary  thing,  for  it  would 
probably  have  been  impossible  to  find  a  single  one 
at  midnight.  Finally,  at  exactly  eleven  o'clock,  I  re- 
turned to  my  man-of-afi^airs.  Rue  Sainte-Anne.  He 
handed  me  12,000  francs  in  rolls  of  napoleons.  I  had 
a  cabriolet  hired  by  the  hour.  Getting  into  the 
carriage,  I  said  to  the  coachman:  *'Home."  I  was 

[402] 


THE   FIRST   RESTORATION 

living  at  6  Rue  dc  Varenne.  We  wished  to  take  the 
route  by  the  Carrousel,  but,  on  account  of  the  de- 
parture of  the  King,  no  one  was  allowed  to  pass.  My 
coachman  then  kcj)t  along  the  Rue  de  Rivoli.  At  the 
moment  we  arrived  at  the  Pont  Louis  XVI  (now 
Pont  de  la  Concorde)  he  heard  the  clock  strike 
twelve.  Stopping  short,  he  declared  that  for  nothing 
in  the  world  would  he  go  another  step.  Mis  home  he 
said  was  at  Chaillot,  and  the  gates  would  be  closed 
at  midnight.  He  demanded  to  be  paid  and  invited  me 
to  continue  my  route  on  foot. 

I  used  in  vain  all  of  my  eloquence  and  promised 
him  a  superb  pourboire  if  he  would  take  me  only  to 
the  point  where  we  met  another  hack.  He  refused.  I 
was  obliged  to  descend  from  the  carriage,  although 
seized  with  a  mortal  terror.  Fortunately,  at  this 
moment  I  heard  the  noise  of  a  carriage.  It  was  a 
hack,  and  vacant,  thank  God!  I  entered  and  offered 
the  coachman  a  generous  gratification  to  take  me 
home. 

As  soon  as  I  arrived  I  sent  in  search  of  the  post 
horses.  In  spite  of  my  service  extraordinaire,  in  spite 
of  the  signature  of  the  Minister,  I  waited  until  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  for  two  miserable  horses 
which  were  to  be  attached  to  a  little  caleche  in  which 
I  was  to  take  my  place  with  Aymar,  Cecile  and  a 
little  Belgian  maid  whom  I  had  kept  in  my  service. 

Our  journey  was  not  marked  by  any  incident.  We 
arrived  safe  and  sound  at  Brussels  where  I  took  a 
little  lodging  Rue  de  Namur,  with  a  lawyer  named 
Monsieur  Huart.  He  has  been  since,  I  think,  Minister 
of  Leopold  I,  King  of  the  Belgians.  I  was  very  im- 

C403  ] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

patient  to  receive  news  from  Vienna.  The  dispatch 
of  the  couriers  who  were  usually  sent  to  the  Foreign 
Affairs  and  by  whom  my  husband  and  my  daughter 
Charlotte  wrote  me,  had  undoubtedly  been  in- 
terrupted. Although  I  had  advised  them  both  of  my 
departure  for  Brussels,  I  had  good  reason  to  feel 
that  I  would  be  a  long  time  without  news,  which 
indeed  was  what  happened.  At  Brussels  I  found  all 
the  persons  of  my  acquaintance,  both  Belgian  and 
French.  Every  one  received  me  cordially,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Bonapartists. 

The  King  of  Holland,  William  the  First,  was  at 
Brussels.  I  went  to  see  him  and  he  received  me 
cordially.  We  were  seated  upon  a  sofa  in  the  former 
cabinet  of  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin.  Turning  to 
me  he  said: 

"In  this  salon  I  try  to  find  the  inspiration  to  make 
myself  loved  like  your  husband." 

Alas!  the  poor  Prince  did  not  succeed.  I  spoke  to 
him  urgently  regarding  the  interests  of  my  son-in- 
law  who  had  now  become  his  subject.  Probably  it 
was  this  conversation  which  opened  to  him  the 
diplomatic  career. 

A  little  later  my  daughter  Charlotte  arrived  alone 
from  Vienna,  accompanied  by  her  maid  and  the  va- 
let of  her  father.  She  informed  me  that  the  Congress 
had  dissolved  at  the  news  of  the  landing  of  Nap- 
oleon at  Cannes.  Every  one  had  left  in  haste  and 
the  Powers  who  were  all  ready  to  become  enemies 
had  become  reconciled  before  the  imminent  danger. 
They  only  thought  now  of  making  France  pay  dearly 
for  the  welcome  given  the  hero  who  in  making  her  so 

C404] 


THE   FIRST   RESTORATION 

powerful  and  glorious  had  raised  uj)  tor  licr  so  many 
enemies. 

In  the  southern  provinces,  the  Uuc  d'Angoulcme 
had  brought  together  a  kind  of  party  which  might 
have  become  important  under  another  chief.  Some 
one  was  wanted  to  take  to  this  Prince  the  assurance 
of  the  union  of  the  Powers  to  overwhelm  Napoleon. 
Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  with  his  usual  zeal, 
accepted  the  mission  of  going  to  Marseille  to  join  the 
Due.  He  set  out  accompanied  by  his  son-in-law,  who 
went  as  far  as  Genoa,  whence  he  brought  me  at 
Brussels  news  from  my  husband.  Young  Liedekerke 
rejoined  his  wife  in  that  city,  and  I  was  able  to  inform 
him  on  his  arrival  that  I  had  assured  his  position 
with  the  King,  his  master. 


[405] 


POSTSCRIPT 

Life  of  Monsieur  and  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  After  the 
First  Restoration. —  The  Dillon  Family. —  Genealogical 
Table. —  Biographical  Notes. —  History  of  the  Dillon 
Regiment. 

THE  events  of  the  life  of  Monsieur  and 
Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  up  to  the 
epoch  of  the  Hundred  Days,  have  been  told 
us  in  the  foregoing  Recollections. 

At  the  moment  of  the  debarkation  of  Napoleon  at 
the  Golfe  Juan,  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  was  at 
the  capital  of  Austria  where  he  had  been  sent  after 
the  First  Restoration,  first  as  Minister  per  interim 
and  then  as  one  of  the  Plenipotentiaries  of  France  to 
the  Congress  of  Vienna. 

After  having  signed  the  famous  declaration  of  the 
thirteenth  of  March,  1815,  which  placed  Napoleon 
outside  the  law,  he  went,  accompanied  by  Monsieur 
de  Talleyrand,  to  Toulon,  to  endeavor  to  hold 
Marechal  Massena,  Governor  of  that  place,  in  the 
service  of  the  King,  and  from  there  to  Marseille  to 
confer  with  the  Due  de  Riviere. 

After  this,  his  mission  was  to  rejoin  in  the  South 
the  Due  d'Angouleme,  who  had  received  from  the 
King  the  order  to  go  to  Nimes.  But  having  learned  at 
Marseille  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  this  Prince  at 
Pont-Saint-Esprit,  after  having  taken,  in  concert  with 
the  Due  de  Riviere,  some  indispensable  measures,  he 

C406] 


POSTSCRIIT 

chartered  a  vessel  in  order  to  po  to  Genoa,  whence 
he  expected  to  return  to  Vienna.  The  had  weather,  or 
rather  the  ill-will  of  the  captain  of  this  vessel,  forced 
him  to  go  to  Barcelona. 

From  there,  by  way  of  Madrid,  he  proceeded  to 
Lisbon  where  he  embarked  for  London.  During  the 
twenty-four  hours  that  he  remained  in  London,  he 
had  the  honor  of  seeing  the  Duchesse  d'Angouleme 
and  put  her  in  touch  with  the  situation  in  France. 
The  night  following  this  interview,  he  left  for  Dover, 
passed  over  to  Ostende  and  went  to  Ghent  where  he 
joined  Louis  XVIIL 

After  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  returned  to  Paris,  at  the  same  time  with  the 
King. 

In  the  month  of  August  following,  he  took  part  in 
the  general  elections  as  President  of  the  Electoral 
College  of  the  Department  of  the  Somme.  The 
seventeenth  of  the  same  month,  he  was  named  Peer 
of  France  by  Louis  XVIIL 

As  stated  in  the  memoirs  of  his  wife.  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin,  while  acting  as  one  of  the  Pleni- 
potentiaries of  France  at  the  Congress  of  Vienna,  had 
kept  the  post  to  which  he  had  been  appointed  a  short 
time  before  of  Minister  to  the  Low  Countries.  In 
October,  1815,  he  went  to  Brussels  to  hand  his 
credentials  to  the  King,  William  I,  and  be  present  at 
his  coronation. 

Having  returned  to  Paris,  a  short  time  later,  to 
take  his  seat  in  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  took  part  during  the  first  days  of 
December  in  the  debates  over  the  trial  of  Marechal 

C407] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

Ney.  He  voted  in  favor  of  his  condemnation,  but  at 
the  same  time  made  a  formal  declaration  in  which  he 
stated  that  he  thought  that  the  Marechal  was  worthy 
of  the  clemency  of  the  King. 

As  is  well  known,  the  clemency  of  the  King  was  not 
accorded. 

About  the  first  of  February,  1816,  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  returned  to  The  Hague  to  take  up  his 
duties  as  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of 
the  Low  Countries. 

In  the  month  of  September,  1818,  the  Due  de 
Richelieu  summoned  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
to  act  as  his  assistant  at  the  Congress  at  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  the  object  of  which  was  to  arrange  the 
conditions  for  the  evacuation  of  the  French  territory 
by  the  foreign  troops.  Immediately  after  the  closing 
of  this  Congress,  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  re- 
turned to  his  post  at  The  Hague.  At  the  end  of  the 
year  18 19,  he  went  again  to  Paris  to  take  his  seat 
in  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  at  the  opening  of  the  session, 
and  was  there  at  the  time  of  the  assassination  of  the 
Due  de  Berry,  the  thirteenth  of  February,  1820. 

A  little  later  in  1820,  he  was  appointed  Ambassador 
at  Turin  and  immediately  joined  his  post,  which  he 
did  not  leave  until  the  month  of  January,  1830, 
except  for  a  sojourn  of  four  months  at  Rome  in  1824. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1830,  Monsieur  de  La 
Tour  du  Pin  decided  to  retire  from  public  life,  as  he 
was  worn  out  and  also  dissatisfied  at  the  turn  taken 
by  events.  He  accordingly  took  up  his  residence  at 
Versailles,  where  he  was  living  at  the  time  of  the 
Revolution  of  July,  1830. 

[408] 


POSTSCRIIT 

The  second  of  August  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  left  Versailles  and  directed  his  steps  towards 
Orleans,  thinking  that  the  King,  in  leaving  by  way  of 
Rambouillet,  would  take  this  route  to  go  to  Tours. 
The  following  day,  learning  of  the  abdication  of  the 
King  and  of  his  departure  for  Cherbourg,  Monsieur 
de  La  Tour  du  Pin  resolved  to  proceed  to  his  estate 
at  Le  Bouilh,  near  Saint  Andre-de-Cubzac.  From  there 
he  addressed  a  letter  to  Monsieur  Pasquier,  President 
of  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  in  which  he  advised  him 
that  he  was  not  willing  to  take  the  new  oath  of 
allegiance  which  was  demanded  of  him,  because  it 
was  directly  contrary  to  that  which  he  had  already 
taken  to  Charles  X.  This  letter  was  laid  before  the 
Chamber  during  the  session  of  the  twenty-first  of 
August  and  appeared  in  the  **Moniteur"  the  following 
day. 

The  events  of  the  month  of  August  had  at  the 
same  time  put  an  end  to  the  mission  with  which 
Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  was  charged,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  King  of  Sardinia.  Free,  therefore,  from 
all  engagements,  he  passed  the  end  of  the  year  1830 
quietly  on  his  estate  at  Le  Bouilh.  During  the  course 
of  the  year  1831,  his  youngest  son  Aymar  became 
involved  in  the  movement  in  the  Vendee  and  was 
arrested  and  put  in  prison.  His  father  not  wishing  to 
be  separated  from  him  spent  the  four  months  of  his 
detention  with  him.  As  soon  as  he  was  liberated  in 
April,  1832,  Aymar  again  went  to  the  Vendee  to 
rejoin  the  Duchesse  de  Berry.  The  failure  of  this 
attempt  is  well  known. 
After  the  arrest  of  Madame,  Aymar  was  once  more 

C409] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

pursued,  but  he  succeeded  in  finding  refuge  in  the 
Island  of  Jersey  in  the  month  of  November,  1832. 
During  his  absence,  he  was  condemned  to  death  on 
account  of  his  participation  in  the  attempt  of  the 
Duchesse  de  Berry. 

Several  of  the  newspapers  having  attacked  his  son 
in  terms  which  appeared  outrageous  to  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin,  the  latter  came  vigorously  to  the 
defence  of  his  son  in  a  letter  which  was  published  by 
the  "Guyenne."  As  a  result,  he  was  put  on  trial  before 
the  Cour  d'Assises  at  Bordeaux,  and  the  fifteenth  of 
December,  1832,  was  condemned  to  pay  a  fine  of 
1,000  francs  and  to  three  months  in  prison.  These 
three  months,  from  the  twentieth  of  December,  1832, 
to  the  twentieth  of  March,  1833,  he  was  confined 
at  the  Fort  du  Ha,  in  company  with  his  wife  who 
refused  to  be  separated  from  him. 

On  leaving  prison.  Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
settled  at  Nice,  where  his  wife  and  son  came  to  rejoin 
him.  Having  been  compelled  by  political  reasons  to 
leave  this  city,  he  proceeded  to  Turin  and  from  there 
to  Pignerol,  where  he  remained  until  the  twenty- 
eighth  of  August,  1834. 

At  this  time  urgent  business  interests  recalled 
Monsieur  and  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  to  France. 
Here  they  remained  exactly  one  year,  and  then  again 
left  France  with  the  plan  of  settling  at  Lucerne,  where 
they  arrived  towards  the  end  of  the  month  of  No- 
vember, 1835,  after  a  sojourn  of  several  weeks  at  Suze. 

The  twenty-sixth  of  February,  1837,  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  died  at  Lucerne  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  years. 

[410] 


POSTSCRIPT 

The  Marquise  du  La  ruur  du  Pin  lias  recounted  to 
us  in  her  Recollections  all  the  notable  events  of  the 
period  of  her  life  comprised  between  her  childhood 
and  the  end  of  the  month  of  March,  1815.  Her  history 
from  that  time  on  was  closely  connected  with  that  of 
her  husband,  whom  she  followed  to  The  Ha^ue  and 
later  to  Turin.  She  also  accompanied  him  to  Italy 
and  then  to  Switzerland  in  the  voluntary  exile  which 
he  imposed  upon  himself,  in  order  to  share  that  of 
his  son,  Aymar,  and  she  was  at  the  bed-side  of  her 
husband  at  Lucerne  at  the  moment  of  his  death  in 
February,  1837. 

Some  time  aftenvards,  with  her  son,  Aymar,  she 
left  for  Italy  and  took  up  her  final  residence  at  Pisa 
in  Tuscany,  where  she  died  the  second  of  April,  1853, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

The  Marquise  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  had  six  children 
—  three  sons,  Humbert,  Edward  and  Aymar,  and 
three  daughters,  Seraphine,  Charlotte  and  Cecile. 
Two  of  her  children,  Seraphine  and  Edward,  died  in 
infancy. 

In  the  interval  between  March,  181 5,  the  date  at 
which  the  Recollections  end,  and  the  first  of  January, 
1820,  the  date  at  which  Madame  de  La  Tour  du  Pin 
began  to  write  her  memoirs,  she  lost  two  other 
children,  her  eldest  son,  Humbert,  and  her  youngest 
daughter,  Cecile. 

Humbert  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  was  born  at  Paris  the 
nineteenth  of  May,  1790.  During  the  last  years  of 
the    Empire    he   was    Sous-Prcfct    at    Florence    and 

[4i>] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

later  at  Sens.  At  the  time  of  the  First  Restora- 
tion he  was  appointed  officer  in  the  corps  of  the 
Mousquetaires  Noirs  and  became  later  aide  de 
camp  of  Marechal  Victor,  Due  de  Bellune.  He  died 
under  circumstances  which  were  very  sad  and  very- 
dramatic. 

At  the  time  of  his  appointment  to  the  Military- 
Household  of  the  Due  de  Bellune,  among  the  aides 
de  camp  of  the  Marechal  was  the  Commandant 
Malandin,  an  officer  who  had  risen  from  the  ranks. 
He  was  rough  and  uneducated,  but  audacious  and 
courageous,  with  an  open  and  loyal  heart,  but  very 
susceptible  upon  the  point  of  honor.  He  had  won 
every  one  of  his  grades  upon  the  different  fields  of 
battle  of  the  Empire. 

The  very  day  that  Humbert  took  up  for  the  first 
time  his  service  with  the  Marechal,  on  entering  the 
quarters  of  the  aides  de  camp,  he  encountered  the 
Commandant  Malandin.  The  latter  addressed  him  in 
a  vein  of  pleasantry,  regarding  some  unimportant 
detail  of  his  uniform,  but  in  terms  which  were  coarse 
and  unbecoming. 

Before  Humbert  could  make  any  reply,  the 
Marechal  entered,  upon  a  tour  of  inspection,  and, 
while  there,  gave  the  Commandant  a  mission  to  the 
Minister  of  War. 

As  soon  as  Humbert  was  able  to  leave,  he  went  im- 
mediately to  the  hotel  occupied  by  his  family  and 
entered  the  cabinet  of  his  father.  Here  he  recounted 
the  incident,  without  omitting  any  of  the  details, 
except  that  he  stated  that  the  person  involved  was 
not  himself,  but  one  of  his  friends.  He  then  asked 

[412] 


POSTSCRliT 

his  father  what  "his  friend"  ought  to  do.  His  father 
repHed : 

"Challen^^e  the  aggressor." 

"And  if  apologies  are  offered.^" 

"Refuse  them." 

That  evening  Humbert  sent  a  challenge  to  Ma- 
landin.  The  meeting  was  arranged  for  the  following 
morning  in  the  Boisde  Boulogne.  The  weapons  selected 
were  pistols  and  the  distance  was  twenty-five  paces. 

The  duel  took  place  the  following  morning  in  a 
clearing  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne. 

When  the  distance  had  been  measured  off  and  the 
adversaries  had  been  placed  m  position,  before  the 
signal  had  been  given,  the  Commandant  Malandin 
gave  a  sign  that  he  wished  to  speak,  and  in  a  loud 
tone  he  pronounced  these  words: 

"Monsieur  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  in  the  presence  of 
these  gentlemen,  I  think  that  I  ought  once  more  to 
declare  to  you  that  I  regret  my  wretched  pleasantry. 
Two  good  fellows  ought  not  to  kill  each  other  for 
that." 

Humbert  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  walked 
slowly  towards  the  Commandant.  All  the  assistants 
had  a  feeling  of  secret  relief  at  seeing  the  favorable 
turn  which  the  affair  had  taken.  But  when  the  young 
man  arrived  close  to  his  adversary,  instead  of  offer- 
ing him  his  hand,  he  raised  his  arm  and  with  the 
butt  of  his  pistol  struck  Malandin  on  the  forehead. 

"Monsieur,"  he  said,  "I  think  that  now  you  will 
not  refuse  to  fight!"  and  he  returned  to  his  place. 

After  such  a  scene,  only  one  denouement  was 
possible.  The  signal  was  given;  Monsieur  de  La  Tour 

[413] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

du  Pin  fired  first  and  missed.  His  adversary,  the 
Commandant,  then  fired  in  turn  and  shot  Humbert 
through  the  heart. 

Cecile  de  La  Tour  du  Pin  was  born  the  thirteenth 
of  February,  1800,  under  circumstances  which  have 
been  related  in  the  Recollections,  at  Wildeshausen, 
a  little  city  upon  the  borders  of  Hanover  and  of  the 
Grand-Duchy  of  Oldenburg.  During  the  month  of 
September,  18 16,  at  The  Hague,  where  Monsieur  de 
La  Tour  du  Pin  occupied  the  post  of  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary of  France  to  the  Court  of  the  Low  Countries, 
she  became  the  fiancee  of  Charles,  Comte  de  Mercy- 
Argenteau. 

The  latter  at  this  time  had  served  for  ten  years  in 
the  French  army  with  great  distinction.  He  had 
taken  part  in  the  campaigns  of  the  Empire  and  had 
gained  particular  renown  at  the  battle  of  Hanau 
where  he  received  the  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 

Shortly  afterwards,  Cecile  was  taken  ill  and,  in 
spite  of  every  care,  continued  to  grow  worse.  She 
was  ordered  by  her  physicians  to  go  from  The  Hague 
to  Nice  in  order  to  find  a  milder  climate,  but  she 
did  not  recover  her  health  and  died  in  that  city 
the  twentieth  of  March,  1817,  and  was  buried  in 
the  cemetery  there. 

On  the  death  of  his  fiancee,  Comte  Charles  de 
Mercy-Argenteau  abandoned  himself  to  despair.  Re- 
nouncing his  brilliant  career  in  the  army,  he  left  the 
military  service  and  entered  into  orders.  He  became 
Archbishop  of  Tyr,  and  died  the  sixteenth  of  No- 
vember, 1879,  at  the  age  of  ninety-three  years. 

C414] 


POSTSCRIPT 

During  their  residence  at  Turin,  which  has  been 
spoken  of  above,  Monsieur  and  Madame  de  La  Tour 
du  Pin  were  once  more  called  upon  to  endure  a  new- 
sorrow.  Charlotte,  the  only  daughter  who  was  still 
living,  and  who  had  married  the  twentieth  of  Ai)ril, 
1813,  at  Brussels,  Comte  Auguste  de  Liedekerke- 
Beaufort,  died  at  the  Chateau  of  Faublanc,  near 
Lucerne,  the  first  of  September,  1822.  At  that  time 
she  was  on  her  way  from  Turin  to  rejoin  at  Berne 
her  husband  who  was  at  that  time  Minister  of  the 
Low  Countries  near  the  Helvetian  Republic. 

Charlotte  left  two  children  —  a  son,  Hadelin,  born 
at  Brussels,  11  March,  1816,  and  a  daughter,  Cecile, 
born  at  The  Hague,  24  August,  1818. 

After  the  death  of  Charlotte,  of  the  six  children, 
Aymar  alone  survived.  On  the  death  of  the  author, 
the  manuscript  of  the  "Journal  d'une  Femme  de 
Cinquante  Ans"  passed  into  the  hands  of  her  son, 
Aymar,  Marquis  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  who  had  been 
born  at  Le  Bouilh,  the  eighteenth  of  October,  1806. 
On  his  death  at  Fontainebleau  the  fourth  of  March, 
1867,  he  left  the  manuscript  to  his  nephew^,  FLadelin, 
Comte  de  Liedekerke-Beaufort,  who  himself  confided 
it  a  short  time  before  his  death  to  one  of  his  sons,  the 
Colonel  Comte  Aymar  de  Liedekerke-Beaufort,  who 
published  it  at  Paris  in  1906. 


C415] 


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POSTSCRIIT 


BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTES 

1  Theobald,  VII  Viscount  Dillon,  died  1691;  married  Mary, 

dauKhter  Sir  Henry  Talbot. 

2  Henry,    VIII    Viscount    Dillon,    died    13     January,    1714; 

married  1687,  Frances  Hamilton. 

3  Arthur,  first  Colonel-Proprietor  of  the  Regiment  of  Dillon 

in  the  service  of  France,  died  5  February,  1733;  married 
Christina,  daughter  Ralph  Sheldon.  (From  Ralph  Sheldon 
were  descended  the  cousins  of  the  author,  so  frequently 
mentioned  in  her  memoirs.)  Children:  five  sons  and  five 
daughters. 

4  Richard,  IX  Viscount  Dillon,  born  1688;  died  1737;   mar- 

ried Lady  Bridget  Burke,  daughter  Earl  of  Clanricarde. 
Daughter  Frances  who  married  her  cousin  (5)  Charles. 

5  Charles,  X  Viscount  Dillon,  second  Colonel  of  the   Regi- 

ment, died  1741;  married  his  cousin  Frances  (above).  No 
children. 

6  Henry,  XI  Viscount  Dillon,  third  Colonel,  born  1705;  died 

1787;  married  Lady  Charlotte  Lee,  daughter  second  Earl 
of  Lichfield,  grandson  of  King  Charles  II  by  the  Duchess 
of  Cleveland. 

7  James,  fourth  Colonel,  killed    at    Fontenoy,   1745.  Never 

married. 

8  Edward,  fifth  Colonel,  died  1747  from  wounds  at  battle  of 

Lawfeld.  Never  married. 

9  Arthur-Richard,  born  1721;  died  5  July,  1806;  was  Arch- 

bishop of  Narbonne. 

10  Laura,  married  Lucius  Cary,  Viscount  Falkland.   She  died 

1741.  One  daughter  (16)  Lucy. 

11  Charles,    XII    Viscount    Dillon,    born    1745;    died     1813; 

married  Henrietta  Phipps,  daughter  Lord  Mulgrave.  Two 

[4>7] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

children:  Henry  Augustus,  and  Frances  Charlotte, 
who  married  Sir  Thomas  Webb.  He  also  had  by  Marie 
Rogier,  whom  he  married  after  death  of  his  wife,  a  natural 
daughter,  Charlotte,  who  married  Lord  Frederick  Beau- 
clerk,  brother  of  the  Duke  of  Saint  Albans. 

12  Arthur,  sixth  Colonel,  born  3  September,  1750;  executed 

13  April,  1794;  married,  ist,  his  cousin  (18)  Therese- 
LucY  DE  RoTHE.  One  daughter  (17)  Henriette-Lucy, 
the  author  of  "Le  Journal  d'une  femme  de  cinquante 
ans."  He  married,  2d,  Marie  de  Girardin,  widow  of  Comte 
de  La  Touche,  and  first  cousin  of  the  Empress  Josephine. 
One  daughter  Frances,  who  married  General  Bertrand, 
aide  de  camp  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon. 

13  Henry,  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  in  England,  born   1759; 

married  Frances  Trant,  and  had  two  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

14  Frances,  born  1747;  married  1767,  Sir  William  Jerningham. 

15  Charlotte,  married  1777,  Earl  of  Kenmare.  One  daughter 

Charlotte,  married  Goold. 

16  Lucy  Cary,  married  General  de  Rothe.  One  daughter  (18) 

Therese-Lucy,  who  married  her  cousin  (12)  Arthur 
Dillon.  One  daughter  (17)*  Henriette-Lucy. 

17  Henriette-Lucy  Dillon,  author  of  the  "Recollections" 

was  born  at  Paris,  25  February,  1770;  died  at  Pisa,  Italy, 
2  April,  1853;  married  21  May,  1787,  Frederic-Seraphin, 
Comte  deGouvernet,  later  Marquis  de  La  Tour  du  Pin. 
Two  sons  (19)  Humbert  and  (22)  Aymar,  and  two  daugh- 
ters (20)  Charlotte  and  (21)  Cecile,  besides  two  children 
who  died  young. 

18  Therese-Lucy  de  Rothe,  married  1768,  her  cousin  (12) 

Arthur  Dillon.  She  died  7  September,  1782.  One 
daughter  (17)  Henriette-Lucy. 

19  Humbert  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  born  19  May,  1790;  died 

28  January,  1816. 

20  Charlotte  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  born  4  November,  1796; 

died  I  September,  1822;  married  20  April,  1815,  the  Comte 

[418] 


POSTSCRIPT 

de  Liedckerke-Beaufort.  Chiidrcn:  one  son  and  one 
daughter:  Hadklin,  Comte  de  Liedckcrke-Hcaufort,  born 
at  Brussels  ii  March,  i8i6;  died  at  Brussels  3  January, 
1890;  Cecile,  born  at  The  Hague,  24  August,  1H18,  died 
at  Paris  19  August,  1893;  married  Baron  Ghislain,  28 
December,  1S41. 

Hadklin  de  Liedekerke-Beaukort  had  a  son  Aymar, 
born  at  Brussels,  19  May,  1846;  died  at  Paris,  March, 
1909;  married  at  Paris,  16  September,  1885,  Louise  Cecile 
Beranger.  Children:  three  sons  and  one  daughter:  Hadelin, 
born  at  Paris,  8  October,  1887;  Aymar,  born  at  Paris 
21  October,  1888;  and  Humbert,  born  at  Paris  14  Sep- 
tember, 1890. 

21  Cecile  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  born  13  February,  1800;  died 

20  March,  1817;  never  married. 

22  Aymar  de  La  Tour  du  Pin,  born  at  Le  Bouilh  18  October, 

1806;  died  at  Fontainebleau  4  March,  1867;  married;  son: 
Humbert  Adelin  Marie,  born  15  May,  1855;  married 
10  October,  1883,  Gabrielle,  daughter  Comte  Aynard  de 
Clermont  Tonnerre:  three  daughters. 


[419] 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


HISTORY  OF  THE  DILLON  REGIMENT 

Theobald  (i),  Lord  Viscount  Dillon,  Peer  of  Ireland,  chief  at 
this  epoch  of  the  illustrious  house  of  that  name,  raised  at  the 
end  of  the  year  1688,  upon  his  lands  in  Ireland,  and  equipped 
at  his  own  expense,  a  Regiment  for  the  service  of  King  James  II. 
In  the  course  of  the  year  1690,  this  Regiment  passed  into  the 
service  of  France,  under  the  orders  of  Arthur  Dillon  (3),  his 
second  son.  It  formed  a  part  of  a  corps  of  5371  men  of  the  Irish 
troops  who  debarked  at  Brest  on  i  May,  1690,  and  who  were 
given  by  King  James  II  to  Louis  XIV  in  exchange  for  six 
French  regiments. 

After  the  capitulation  of  Limerick,  in  1691,  the  number  of 
Irish  troops  who  entered  the  service  of  France  was  considerably 
augmented  and  reached  a  total  of  more  than  20,000  men.  From 
that  time  to  the  date  of  the  French  Revolution  they  served 
under  the  name  of  the  "Irish  Brigade"  in  all  the  wars  of  France 
and  always  with  the  most  brilliant  distinction. 

Arthur  Dillon  (3),  first  Colonel  of  the  Dillon  Regiment,  became 
Lieutenant  General  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years,  having  won 
this  rank  through  his  glorious  deeds.  He  was  for  a  long  time 
Commandant  in  Dauphine  and  Governor  of  Toulon.  On  28 
lAugust,  1709,  near  Briangon,  he  defeated  General  Rehbinder, 
Commander  of  the  troops  of  Savoy,  who  wished  to  invade 
France.  He  finished  a  glorious  career  in  1733,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years.    He  left  five  sons  and  five  daughters. 

In  1728,  he  had  transferred  his  Regiment  to  Charles  Dillon  (5), 
the  eldest  of  his  sons.  Charles  Dillon,  having  become  the  head  of 
the  family  in  1737,  by  the  death  of  Richard  (4),  Lord  Dillon, 
his  cousin,  kept  the  Regiment  temporarily  and  then  transferred 
it  to  his  brother  Henry  Dillon  (6). 

Henry  Dillon  (6)  on  the  death  of  Charles  Lord  Dillon  in  1741, 
succeeded  to  the  titles  and  property  of  his  family,  but  neverthe- 
less kept  the  command  of  the  Regiment  at  the  head  of  which  he 

[420] 


POSTSCRIPT 

served  until  1743.  After  the  Battle  of  Dettingen  the  English, 
who  up  to  that  time  had  been  auxiliaries,  became  the  principal 
parties  in  the  war.  Lord  Henry  Dillon,  in  order  to  preserve  his 
title  of  Peer  of  England  and  to  avoid  the  confiscation  of  his 
estates,  was,  owing  to  this  fact,  obliged  to  leave  the  service  of 
France,  which  he  did  with  the  consent  and  even  by  the  advice 
of  Louis  XV. 

James  Dillon  (7),  Chevalier  of  Malta,  the  third  brother,  was 
then  promoted  to  be  Colonel  of  the  Regiment,  at  the  head  of 
which  he  was  killed  at  Fontenoy  in  1 745. 

Edward  Dillon  (8),  the  fourth  brother,  was  appointed  Colonel 
of  the  Regiment  by  Louis  XV  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  like 
his  brother  found  his  death  in  action  at  the  head  of  the  Regiment 
at  the  Battle  of  Lawfeld  in  1747. 

Arthur  Richard  Dillon  (9),  the  fifth  brother,  alone  survived, 
but  he  had  entered  into  orders  and  died  in  England  in  1806  as 
Archbishop  of  Narbonne. 

At  the  death  of  Edward  Dillon  (8),  killed  at  Lawfeld,  Louis XV 
was  strongly  urged  to  dispose  of  the  Regiment  under  the  pretext 
that  there  was  no  longer  a  Dillon  to  take  command.  But  the 
King  replied  that  Henry,  Lord  Dillon,  had  just  been  married 
and  that  he  was  not  willing  to  consent  to  see  go  out  of  the  family 
a  property  cemented  with  so  much  blood  and  of  so  remarkable 
services,  so  long  as  it  was  possible  to  hope  for  an  heir.  The 
Dillon  Regiment  consequently  remained  after  1747  under  the 
successive  command  of  a  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  of  two  Colonel- 
Commandants  until  the  Honorable  Arthur  Dillon  (12),  second 
son  of  Henry,  Lord  Dillon,  was  put  in  charge,  on  25  August, 
1767,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 

At  the  epoch  of  the  French  Revolution,  the  Irish  Brigade 
was  reduced  to  three  infantry  regiments,  namely:  Dillon,  Ber- 
wick and  Walsh.  In  1794,  what  was  left  of  the  three  regiments, 
including  the  greater  part  of  the  oflficers  who  had  emigrated  to 
England,  passed  into  the  service  of  the  King  of  England.  The 
Dillon  Regiment,  or  the  part  still  in  existence,  to  which  England 
was  willing  to  attribute  the  name,  was  given  to  the  Honorable 
Henry  Dillon  (13),  third  son  of  Henry,  Lord  Dillon,  and  brother 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 

of  Arthur  Dillon,  last  Colonel  of  the  Regiment  in  France,  who 
had  perished  on  the  scaffold  in  1794.  This  new  Regiment  was 
filled  up  by  recruiting  on  the  same  lands  which  had  furnished 
the  first  soldiers  in  1688.  A  little  later  it  embarked  for  Jamaica 
where  its  losses  were  so  considerable  that  it  was  disbanded.  The 
flags  and  ensigns  of  the  Regiment  were  transported  to  Ireland 
and  carefully  deposited  in  the  hands  of  Charles,  Lord  Dillon, 
chief  of  the  family  and  eldest  brother  of  the  Colonel. 


[422] 


I 


6 


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